Articles in the Efficiency Category
Posted in Efficiency, Fuel on 24 October 2008
The British based company Rolls Royce is bringing the good old propeller engines back into the aviation industry with a little difference. The company is making an attempt to decrease fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emission by the aircrafts.
Posted in Efficiency, Electricity, Energy, Fuel, Gas, Power on 21 October 2008
Google has never failed to surprise us with its eco-consciousness. Time and again the organisation has come up with tips on how to save energy in data centers to investments in plug-in cars and batteries.
Well, most recently Google has come up with an energy savings calculator which even matches with the Halloween theme. Do check out the website www.google.com/hauntedhouse08/ and enjoy the spook. The brains behind this initiative have kept the Halloween air throughout, like, “Ghosts: Hear that eerie moan? That’s the sound of warm air escaping up your chimney.” Even Zombies are in action with, “Computers can feed on energy even when they’re not in use.”
Posted in Efficiency, Electric on 20 October 2008
Light Emitting Diodes (LED), which are extensively used in various gadgets like watches, clocks, traffic lights will now be available for domestic use. With the prices of the semiconductor materials dropping, LED light bulbs can be used to light up our homes, but how economical and useful are they going to be? Let’s see…
Posted in Cells, Efficiency, Solar on 17 October 2008
Solar Energy, the safest and eternal of all the green energy suffers from just two drawbacks. Most of the solar cells existing do not absorb all the wavelengths of visible light and also fail to convert this little engrossed energy into electricity. Researchers at the Ohio State University headed by Prof. Malcolm Chrisholm, have created a material that can overcome these weaknesses. This new hybrid prepared by combining conductive plastic and metals like molybdenum absorbs all the visible colors and converts them more efficiently in contrast to other solar cells. Read the full story »
Posted in Efficiency, Electricity on 15 October 2008
South Korean designer Sung Woo Park’s Energy Seed is a smart street lamp powered entirely by low-life batteries. Community members drop their discarded batteries into Energy Seed’s disposal holes, making these batteries stacked up together. The drained batteries become a chain of combined energy that gives long-lasting supply of power to the LED lamps.
The Energy Seed is a timely project that is a showcase of energy conservation, recycling trash, and even social concern for public safety. Community members are encouraged to recycle, electrical power is generated sustainably, and pedestrians get their much-needed light on sidewalks at night. It is also all about saving energy. Above all, it is a smart concept for a smart product.
Read the full story »
Posted in Automobiles, Efficiency, Energy, Pollution, Solar, concept, public transport on 13 October 2008
The human-pulled cycle rickshaw of India has earned itself quite a few brickbats from human rights activists. But, maybe its time to change the perception. Now, a state-of-the-art, solar powered version of the humble vehicle called ‘Soleckshaw’ is touted as the solution to India’s traffic and pollution troubles as well as an escape from backbreaking human toil.
Unveiled earlier this month in New Delhi, the Soleckshaw is actually a motorised cycle rickshaw that can both be pedalled the regular way or run on a 36-volt solar battery. Created by the Centre for Scientifc and Industrial Research, this little wonder is being experimented upon at Delhi’s oldest and busiest of areas, Chandni Chowk.
Posted in Earth, Eco Art, Eco-Friendly, Efficiency, Electric, Electricity, Gas, Go green, Infrastructure, Pollution, Power, Products, Renewable, Solar, Technology, Tourism, World on 11 October 2008
If you were wondering how one could stay warm and cozy right on top of an ice-capped mountain, you must seek the advice of the Department of Architecture at the Swiss Federal Technical University. They have constructed the autonomous alpine shelter at a height of 2,810 meters above sea level. Many students and researchers have already started to use the facility and have spoken of its convenience and safety. They surely were awed, too, by its majestic perch on a snowy peak.
Situated right at the tip of a glacier, it is as remote and far away from any energy source as it could get. However, an innovative mind can take one a long way on the journey towards energy self-sufficiency. The building could be used by mountaineers as a base camp before making an ascent on the Alps.
Posted in Earth, Eco Art, Eco-Friendly, Eco-friendly products, Efficiency, Technology, concept on 11 October 2008
If you had wanted to live in a futuristic house that not only looked extra-terrestrial but is also green and sustainable, you may consider the awesome looking dome homes from Solaleya. The dome home rotates and faces the sun right from morning till evening and also saves on electricity that way. The domes are built using a special FSC-certified wood.
If that isn’t all, the dome can withstand hurricane and cyclone level rains. Designer Solaleya is proud to say that the energy saving device produces low consumption levels. The house is both admirable and worthy to own. Looks like Solaleya has a number of plans and designs up its sleeve. The fact that the dome shaped house is a sustainable one makes it all the more attractive and must prove to be an inspiration to other designers who could also go ahead and design buildings and houses that are sustainable.
Posted in Earth, Eco-Friendly, Efficiency, Electricity, Energy, Environment, Fuel, Global warming, Go green, Green, Pollution, Power, Tourism, World on 11 October 2008
Antarctica has been man’s last unchartered territory but only till sometime ago. Now the cold continent is seeing unprecedented growth in tourism and up to 40,000 people visited Antarctica in 2007. However, the tourists have a negative effect on the ecology of Antarctica and environmentalists have started to worry. Maastricht University in Holland seeks to solve this problem by dramatically controlling the number of tourists to the continent.
The problem lies in the fact that Antarctica has no government of its own and hence, no regulatory body. The university has proposed to auction off parts of the continent and limit tourists and their numbers in the auctioned parts. This could have a positive impact on the way the continent sustains itself and protect the unique fauna of Antarctica. Perhaps tour organizers and travel agencies must get in touch with the regulatory bodies in their own countries and inform prospective tourists about how their visit to Antarctica can affect the continent.
Posted in Cells, Efficiency, Energy, Solar on 8 October 2008
Imagine, traveling with stored up energy at your disposal. We have to thank Echarger and their ultra-cool Solar Bags for that. Yes, the latest in energy efficient fashion accessories, these attractive bags are fitted with powerful solar panels.
So, the sun’s rays are nicely soaked up and stored in a battery which is ready to use for charging any mobile device during an emergency. Wow! Now if the dropped jaw is ready for more, well the stored up solar energy can easily be buffered for upto three months. That means, even on days when the sun is hiding behind the clouds, you can still rely on its energy.
All that said the Solar Bags do not look nerdy. In fact, the hip colors, varying styles to suit every thinkable requirement, storage space, waterproof quality make them a must-have. So next time you out camping or on a business meeting, do not fret if your mobile phone runs out of battery because Solar Bags ‘hai na’!
Via Echarger