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Environmental
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
Air New Zealand completes biofuel test flight
19:58 January 1, 2009 PST
Air New Zealand has successfully undertaken the world's first commercial aviation test flight using the second-generation biofuel jatropha. A series of key performance tests were conducted at various altitudes during the two hour flight over New Zealand's North Island in which a 50:50 jatropha and Jet A1 fuel blend was used to power one of four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines on the Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400. Read More
Purelight UV sterilizer targets household germs
By Emily Clark
04:04 December 17, 2008 PST
ENPUTECH has announced plans to unveil its new UV sterilizer at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas in January. Purelight is an environmentally-friendly device designed to sterilize germs and other bacteria in mattresses, blankets, carpets, toothbrushes, toilets and kitchen utensils. Read More
Sanyo announces eneloop electric hybrid bicycle
By Darren Quick
23:16 December 14, 2008 PST
Countries with a strong bicycle culture such as those in Asia have rapidly embraced bicycles of the motorized variety. Whereas many early motorized bicycles employed internal combustion engines, the tide has shifted in favor of more environmentally friendly electric motors. Sanyo’s new eneloop electric hybrid bicycle offers a “Power-up Mode” assist ratio of up to 1:2 to enable easy pedaling up steep hills and a new “loop charge function” that charges the battery as you cruise the streets. 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
Revolving door generates its own power
By Darren Quick
19:11 December 11, 2008 PST
December 12, 2008 In a clever example of harnessing the power of human movement, Netherlands based door manufacturer Royal Boon Edam has developed an energy generating revolving door for the Driebergen-Zeist railway station which generates energy with every person passing through the door. 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
Finnair's future fleet: flying into the 21st century
By Kyle Sherer
20:54 December 4, 2008 PST
To celebrate its 85th anniversary, Finnair has served up a blue-sky vision of what the next 85 years of aviation could hold. Concentrating mainly on potential developments in environmentally friendly technology and lightweight material, the Departure 2093 website lists five aircraft that could grace our sky later this century. Read More
Sharp's LCD Christmas Tree
By Emily Clark
22:04 December 2, 2008 PST
In a nod to Christmas cheer and the spirit of giving, Sharp has unveiled a 26-foot tall tree comprising 43 of its AQUOS LCD televisions. Aside from enhancing the holiday atmosphere, the “AQUOS Experience” in New York’s Grand Central Terminal represents Sharp’s donation to non-profit organization, the Hope Program. 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
Meraki Solar powered Wi-Fi
By Darren Quick
04:56 December 2, 2008 PST
Meraki, a company whose aim is to ‘bring affordable Internet access to the next billion people’, is hoping their solar-powered Wi-Fi unit will do just that. The Meraki Solar is designed to provide wireless coverage over large outdoor areas with a minimum of fuss by removing the need to run power cables. Each unit is self-contained and ready to mount on roofs, poles, or anywhere the sun shines and is designed to provide 24/7 uptime in most locations worldwide by running on its own solar charged battery. Read More
Sprig toys: eco-friendly, battery free fun
By Emily Clark
22:50 November 30, 2008 PST
Sprig Toys earn an eco-friendly tick on two fronts. Firstly, they are made from a child-safe composite of recycled wood and reclaimed plastic with minimal packaging and no decorative paint and secondly, rather than contributing to the mountains of used batteries littering the planet they use a "kid-powered" system to operate lights and other electronics. Read More
Honda FC Sport Design Study demonstrates Hydrogen Fuel Cell performance potential
By Jack Martin
13:21 November 22, 2008 PST
November 23, 2008 Honda pulled the wraps off a Fuel Cell Sport design study model at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week, The hydrogen-powered, three-seat FC sports car concept emphasizes the design flexibility and potential of Honda's V Flow fuel cell technology - already deployed in the Honda FCX Clarity sedan - and reconfigures it into a lightweight sports car design with an ultra-low center of gravity, powerful electric motor performance and zero-emissions. The design study concept is claimed to offer supercar levels of performance through low weight and a high-performance, electrically driven fuel cell powertrain. Read More
ASUS Bamboo notebook for style with a conscience
By Darren Quick
02:36 November 19, 2008 PST
November 19, 2008 Realizing that eco-friendly is the new black, ASUS is releasing a notebook that wears its green credentials on its sleeve – or its casing anyway. The ASUS Bamboo Series notebook is cased in Moso bamboo paneling, which is light, durable, renewable and stylish to boot. The green conscience is carried through to the notebook’s internals with the ASUS exclusive Super Hybrid Engine, which preserves power by intelligently monitoring component power requirements and automatically adjusting to meet current consumption needs – thus optimizing system performance and energy efficiency. Read More
New technology for portable wastewater treatment unveiled
By Emily Clark
15:22 November 16, 2008 PST
In disasters such as hurricane Katrina, dealing with wastewater can be one of the greatest difficulties facing military and relief operations. Nicknamed “DAAB” (Deployable Aqueous Aerobic Bioreactor), this new self-sustaining, portable, and “smart” wastewater treatment system offers a solution to this critical problem. Read More
Packaging innovation promises to reduce landfill
By Emily Clark
21:07 November 13, 2008 PST
Each year an estimated 20 billion cubic feet of styrofoam is used globally for the shipment of 250 million perishable packages. Once the packages have arrived safely, this quickly translates to mountains of landfill. Coldpack's eco-friendly alternative is an inflatable insulating liner that converts a corrugated box into a cooler with better insulation and cushioning properties than styrofoam, reducing supply chain costs as well landfill. Read More
Roush demonstrates hydrogen conversion system for petrol vehicles
By Darren Quick
18:50 November 3, 2008 PST
November 4, 2008 One of the hurdles of cleaning up vehicle emissions is the need for drivers to buy a completely new environmentally friendly vehicle - not exactly a feasible option for most people. Systems like the latest bi-fuel Internal Combustion Engine conversion from Roush Technologies could provide that vital stepping stone between petrol and hydrogen fueled vehicles. To demonstrate the technology, the company has modified the engine of a Ford Transit-based vehicle to operate using compressed hydrogen gas fuel – but it can also operate from its existing petrol fueled system without any adverse effects. Read More
Air New Zealand moves closer to biofuel flight
By Kyle Sherer
16:15 November 2, 2008 PST
Air New Zealand, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and UOP aim to power one of four engines on a Boeing 747-400 on Jatropha-based fuel. The first test flight using the environmentally sustainable oil is scheduled to take place in Auckland in December after fuel testing is completed. Read More
Bioethanol from Olive Stones
By Emily Clark
19:10 October 30, 2008 PDT
Have you every wondered what happens to all of the stones removed from the olives that end up on our shelves and in delis? The answer could now be that they are turned into bioethanol and used as an alternative to petrol or diesel. Read More
Solar Power Satellites could broadcast energy to Earth
By Kyle Sherer
15:03 October 29, 2008 PDT
Dusting off an old renewable energy proposal, president of the National Space Society Ben Bova recently published an article in The Washington Post calling for the next president of the United States to commission a US$1 billion solar power satellite from NASA before the end of their second term. The satellite would harness energy directly from the sun and broadcast it back to a receiver on Earth using microwave frequencies. Read More
The pedestrian-powered Human Water Pump concept
By Emily Clark
19:10 October 28, 2008 PDT
According to research from the Pacific Institute, more than five million people die each year from water-related disease, primarily due to inadequate access to clean water which, if it is available, often requires trekking over long distances to reach it. Gunwook Nam from South Korea has proposed a solution that harnesses people power - literally. The Human Pump concept uses a boardwalk structure fitted with springs that captures and stores kinetic energy from foot-traffic and uses it to pump underground water to the surface. Read More
Mini sensor to improve detection of greenhouse gases
By Emily Clark
18:27 October 28, 2008 PDT
Governments could be able to more easily and cheaply monitor greenhouse gas emissions thanks to a miniature gas sensor being developed by a new European consortium, led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The sensor would also have applications for consumers by improving air conditioning in buildings. Read More
Africa's largest wind farm to be built in Ethiopia
By Emily Clark
00:15 October 27, 2008 PDT
With its nation in need of additional energy resources, the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEEPC) has announced it will build Africa's largest wind farm - a 120MW facility to be based in Ashegoba in the country’s north. Read More
Cool Earth Solar: pursuing a viable alternative to fossil fuels
By Darren Quick
00:20 October 25, 2008 PDT
There is no doubt that mankind stands at a pivotal point in our history in relation to our consumption of global resources and the resultant impact on the planet on which we live. By far the biggest concern is our ever-growing appetite for energy to power the lifestyles we have grown not only accustomed to, but also dependent upon. Solar is one answer with great potential, but economics and the amount of power it can produce in comparison to fossil fuel power stations has held it back so far. Now new approaches like Cool Earth’s collectors are becoming advanced enough to effectively tackle these problems with technology that relies on inexpensive and free materials, is scalable, able to compete economically with fossil fuel power plants and is capable of delivering not just megawatts, but gigawatts of clean power. Read More
Smart cars to be trialed in city mobility scheme
By Emily Clark
23:54 October 21, 2008 PDT
In a progressive move that shares similarities to bike sharing schemes currently operating in some European cities, Daimler is looking to combat urban road congestion with car2go, a new program to be trialed in Germany which will utilize a microchip system in order for members to access environmentally friendly Smart cars. Read More
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
