Articles in the Electricity Category
Posted in Agriculture, Electricity on 29 October 2008
Chip Ransler and Manoj Sinha, founders of the Husk Power Systems (HPS) have found a way to give electricity to parts of India which still manage without one of the most essential energies today. This company focuses on providing power to the people in villages using rice husk (rice being abundantly grown here) through a small, off-grid system. The company already has five such projects operating in various parts and hopes to increase the number to a hundred.
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, 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.
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Posted in Electricity, Gadgets on 15 October 2008
If there is one industry that is achieving fabulous success in producing planet-friendly technology, then it surely is the Lighting Industry. It has come a long way in past few years with the development of LED and the OLED technology. The more important aspect of it is that the industry has found a way to integrate its cutting edge technology with consumer goods and has found a cost-effective way to make its way into our homes. Sure, even automobile industry is trying hard as well, but it is not like everyone can ride in a Tesla at any point!
Posted in Eco-Friendly, Electricity, Environment on 15 October 2008
Technology has always tried to make use of the forces of nature for the betterment of humankind and nature in its own way has enthused man with its perfection and aptitude. Inspired by these forces Solar Botanic has planned to generate power through artificial trees. Just like the trees outside utilize air and sunlight to produce energy for their growth, these man-made trees will now convert the wind and solar energy into electricity.
Posted in Charger, Electricity on 14 October 2008
The Powerwise, a table that keeps eight electrical outlets, is a one-stop charging station for your iPods, cameras, cell phones, mp3 players, and other hand-held electrical devices. It is designed by Swedish based designers Johanna Strand and Asa Elmstam. The chargers may remain in place in their outlets all the time. The electricity that powers the entire table can be turned via the red switch. You can then pull the plug and wind up the cord into the table leg designated as cord compartment. When the green cord pulls back into the leg, energy consumption is reduced.
The whole idea behind the design is to give convenience to users who have their electrical and electronic devices constantly charged. This table gives the residents of the home a central charging station that will eliminate the possibility of several individual chargers being forgotten to be pulled out from sockets after use, making them fire hazard.
Posted in Electricity, Gadgets on 14 October 2008
Via a computer program, this electrical plug monitors energy use and cuts off electricity remotely. The “Smart Plug,” a new product from the energy line of British company AlertMe, does more than just conduct electricity. The Smart Plug that you insert into an electrical socket automatically connects to the AlertMe Hub, where the Smart Plug now acts as wireless broadband and GPRS connection. Through a website on your computer or handset, you can, then, view the electrical outlet’s energy usage statistical data.
The web interface can also let you remotely cut the power off in that particular outlet where the Smart Plug is connected. It can also program a schedule system for you as to what specific time you want the power to be cut off. According to AlertMe, the Smart Plug can save as much as 20 percent of your power consumption.
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Posted in Car, Eco-Friendly, Electricity on 12 October 2008
Ever imagined a car that is powered by AIR! Motor Development International (MDI) is all set to launch a new range of eco-friendly cars running on compressed air. These cars look small and cute regardless of their absurd appearance. Electricity is used for filling up the engine with compressed air and when this air under pressure is slowly released, a series of pistons act which propel the car. An air-car fuelling station can help filling the air fast while it would take long using home compressors. These cars run at low velocities for short distances but the main difficulty is the power loss due to indirect use of energy through conversion from one form to another.
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-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.