Articles tagged with "Environmental"
Sunny Day: fold-up solar-electric bicycle concept
April 17, 2008 Featuring an adjustable streamlined solar panel on the front stem, the Sunny Day compact solar electric bicycle design by Larry Chen recently took out the Grand Prize in the 12th annual International Bicycle Design Competition. (read more...)
Prototype energy-saving computer delivers significant efficiency boost
April 14, 2008 Using off the shelf technology researchers have developed a highly energy efficient computer that consumes 70 percent less energy than ENERGY STAR labeled computers. Researchers Peter May-Ostendorp and Nathan Beck of Ecos collaborated with chip makers Intel, AMD and Via Technologies to see how much they could reduce the energy demand of computers operating in today’s business environment by using the hardware makers’ most-efficient computer platforms and adding best-in-class components such as hybrid hard drives and right-sized 80 PLUS power supplies. (read more...)
Capturing carbon to create greener plastics
April 10, 2008 Chemists are investigating ways to use carbon dioxide removed from smokestack emissions to make a raw material for the production of DVDs, CD-ROMs, beverage bottles and other products made from polycarbonate plastics. (read more...)
Power Utility launches energy saving software
South Jersey Gas is now offering its customers the ability to manage their energy consumption, practice energy efficiency and reduce their energy costs using a free web-based service. Developed by Aclara Software, the new service gives customers access to energy information relating to their utility bills. (read more...)
AeroVironment awarded patents for wind-power system
April 14, 2008 A name familiar to Gizmag readers through its achievements in the field of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, AeroVironment is also a developer of efficient electric energy systems, an area in which it has been awarded a series of patents relating to its "Architectural Wind® Building-Integrated Energy Generation System" - a system which takes a new approach to harnessing wind power using low-profile turbines designed to maximize electricity generation by taking advantage of the way wind flows over certain types of buildings. (read more...)
World's fist commercial scale tidal energy generator nears completion
Bristol based renewable energy company Marine Current Turbines has completed the first installation phase of the 1.2MW SeaGen Tidal System at Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough - a site chosen for its combination of fast tidal current and ability to provide shelter from bad weather which may hinder the construction process. It is expected that the breakthrough power plant will be operational around mid-year with its massive 16m diameter twin rotors harnessing the tides to produce the equivalent amount of energy it takes to power 1000 homes. After its final assembly at the Harland & Wolff dockyard in Belfast, the crane barge “Rambiz” positioned the 1000 tonne structure onto the seabed 400m from the shoreline where it will be secured by four pins drilled to a depth of around nine meters. (read more...)
Self-powered eco-switch for hotel rooms
April 4, 2008 This card-operated wireless switch from Echoflex Solutions offers the hotel industry a solution for reducing energy waste by in unoccupied rooms. (read more...)
Fully electric, 130+mph Tesla Roadster goes into production
March 18, 2008 A very significant milestone in zero-emissions motoring has just occurred as Tesla Motors announced yesterday that its groundbreaking electric sportscar has commenced regular production. The 130mph Tesla Roadster is the first production electric car to boast genuine sports performance coupled with a 210+ mile range between battery charges, which make it both exciting and viable for the vast majority of driving purposes. The fact that it's utterly gorgeous, with hints of the Lotus Elise, doesn't hurt either. All of the 2008 models scheduled for production have already been snapped up for just under US$100,000 each - and reservations are now being taken on the 2009 model. (read more...)
myGreenElectronics: website initiative to reduce impact of electronics
March 18, 2008 Promoting the four R’s of green electronic use (Reduce, Recycle, Reuse and Rethink), the ‘myGreenElectronics’ website is dedicated to minimizing the impact consumer electronics have on the environment. A simple, clean design, myGreenElectronics provides basic information to help consumers on their path to thinking, buying and acting ‘green’. (read more...)
New Toronto waterfront development will have a “future proof” energy centre
March 18, 2008 Waterfront Toronto, a 2,000 acre area of largely publicly owned land, is one of the largest urban developments currently underway in North America. As part of the project, a 3500 square meter District Energy Centre is under development which will consist of an interconnected network of underground pipes which that be extended to every area in each of the waterfront precincts. The plant will initially be powered by natural gas but the design will incorporate the necessary features for easy conversion to more sustainable, alternative fuel sources when they are approved for urban use. This "future-proof" system will make the new waterfront neighborhood a more efficient and sustainable user of energy in years to come. (read more...)
Pilot program investigates link between driving behavior and emissions
The City of Denver has launched a pilot programmed designed to quantify the impact of driving behavior on fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The Driving Change initiative will identify ways for drivers to reduce their emissions by measuring the environmental impact of driving behavior. (read more...)
New research promises boost to biofuel production
A new process developed by two professors at the University of Maryland could mean the ability to convert large volumes of all kinds of plant products, from leftover brewer's mash to paper trash, into ethanol and other biofuel alternatives to gasoline. When fully operational, the process could potentially lead to the production of 75 billion gallons of carbon-neutral ethanol each year. (read more...)
OUiP!: child’s handheld electronic device powered by play
March 12, 2008 Small children have an uncanny ability to understand and use electronic devices quickly and correctly. You’re happy when your child wants to learn but when their buttery fingers caress your new laptop or digital camera it’s time to introduce them to their own toys! The industrial design company think/thing (designer of the recently featured Nestt car seat), has developed OUiP!, an intuitive, interactive technology interface for children. (read more...)
Raser Technologies announces two new geothermal energy projects
March 7, 2008 Raser Technologies has committed to two new geothermal projects, bringing its total project count to seven and representing 70-75 megawatts (MW) of power projects initiated since April 2007. (read more...)
Sink or swim: floating Hybrid XPliers
March 6, 2008 Robrady is a name most of our readers will associate with bleeding-edge electric motorcycle designs, but the company’s portfolio has several facets including a partnership with marine tool specialists XTools. The latest product to emerge from this collaboration is a pair of rugged hybrid pliers, which like all tools in the range, float when they hit the water. (read more...)
Microturbines to reduce emissions in NYC
March 5, 2008 Installation of microturbines has been completed in New York with the aim of providing clean energy and reducing the City’s residential and commercial carbon emissions. MicroTurbine systems, developed by Capstone, have been installed in four locations around the City and are fueled by clean burning natural gas, and emit very low emissions. (read more...)
Control4's energy saving wireless light dimmer
March 4, 2008 Creating more artificial light than we actually need is a significant contributor to energy waste in the home. The solution - dim the lights. In the case of the Wireless Dimmer from Control4 this is achieved automatically as the device uses ambient light sensors to adjust brightness to an optimum level. (read more...)
The Krank lamp: funky, functional and eco-friendly
The 2008 Greener Gadgets Design Competition produced a number of eco-friendly, innovative designs, amongst them was the standout design of the “Krank”, a light-weight lamp which is powered by hand. (read more...)
The eco-friendly Green Cell mobile phone battery
February 29, 2008 The award winning Green Cell battery design concept is a universal format cell phone battery that's safe, environmentally friendly and can be recharged or replaced at a local vending machine. (read more...)
HI-TEC Enviro golf shoes: going “green” on the green
February 26, 2008 In another example of companies targeting those with a “green” conscience, HI-TEC has launched an environmentally friendly golf shoe made from recycled materials. (read more...)
Architecture students think outside the box to design low-cost, less-waste housing
A non-profit organization has given architecture students a chance to learn about the practical, hands-on elements of their future profession whilst exposing them to the benefits of building low-cost, sustainable housing using materials sourced from the local area. Since 2000, DesignBuildBluff and graduate students from the University of Utah’s College of Architecture & Planning have designed and built energy-efficient, inexpensive houses using natural building methods and materials made of recycled products and locally salvaged waste or by-products. (read more...)
Office depot breaks ground on first "green" store
February 20, 2008 Office Depot plans to open its first "green" LEED-Certified Store and the company recently celebrating breaking ground on the Austin, Texas site. The store will be the most energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly store in Company's North American retail chain and is due to open in summer 2008. (read more...)
Dryer Miser: energy-saving clothes drying technology
February 14, 2008 In another innovation that promises to aid us in reducing our carbon footprint, Hydromatic's new energy saving technology targets one of the biggest energy guzzling appliances found in the home - the clothes dryer. Launched at the 2008 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, the Dryer Miser system uses a specially-engineered fluid in the heat exchange process to reduce energy consumption by up to 50% and cut clothes-drying time by up to 41%. (read more...)
Tefal Quick Cup: hot tea in seconds
February 14, 2008 Increasing awareness of the urgent need to address global carbon emissions is leading to changes in the way we consume energy in our day to day lives. It's a classic "every little bit helps" scenario - from turning off appliances at the power point to using the "eco" function on the washing machine - and following this philosophy, Tefal has introduced a great little energy saver known as the Quick Cup. This device offers a fantastic alternative to traditional kettles that take an average of three minutes to boil (and often heat excess water that isn't utilized) by delivering the exact amount of hot filtered water needed for a cup of tea or coffee in three seconds flat while using only a third of the energy of an ordinary kettle. (read more...)
New York’s hybrid buses prove their worth
February 7, 2008 A government report has shown that the new Orion buses in New York City cost 40% less to maintain and 24% less to operate than earlier-generation hybrids. (read more...)
