xFruits - 21st Century Green Tech. - 2 new items

21st Century Green Tech

• 1. New book looks at the moral reasons we should care about climate change

• 2. Free workshop to improve your home energy IQ

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New book looks at the moral reasons we should care about climate...  

2010-10-02 16:03

Carrie Sturrock, Special to The Oregonian - Climate Change

"Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril" is edited by an Oregon State University professor and includes essays from Oregonians as well as activists and leaders from around the world

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Free workshop to improve your home energy IQ  

2010-10-02 02:29

Carrie Sturrock, Special to The Oregonian - Eat Your Greens

This free workshop is sponsored by Pacific Power and Energy Trust of Oregon. The one in Portland is Oct. 6

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xFruits - 21st Century Green Tech. - 1 new item

21st Century Green Tech

• 1. Piston-Powered Airplanes More Fuel Efficient (But Is That Enough?)

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Piston-Powered Airplanes More Fuel Efficient (But Is That Enough?)  

2010-09-17 16:31

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A recent article from Low-Tech Magazine brings up the interesting note that only the most recent jet planes are as fuel-efficient as propeller planes. Many people believe that jets are very efficient, but, "on a per passenger mile basis, the most efficient modern aircraft, the Airbus A380, has just managed to match that which was achieved by the piston engined Lockheed Constellation series in the 1950's."

Unfortunately, passenger-mile fuel efficiency isn't the sole metric that airlines have to consider. Fuel cost is certainly a big chunk of the operating budget for a passenger plane, but so is the cost of crew wages and benefits. Jets travel faster, better utilizing the working hours available for each flight crew. Piston aircraft may be more fuel efficient, but there are other things that jets do better.

Piston aircraft cannot operate at the higher altitudes that jets can reach. The Constellation's ceiling was 24,000 feet (7,315 meters), while contemporary jets can reach an altitude of about 40,000 feet (12,192 meters). Flying at higher altitudes allows jet aircraft to avoid weather systems that would delay or halt aircraft operating at lower altitudes.

None of this means that we are in favor of retaining the status quo. While jets can fly higher, they also release their exhaust higher in the atmosphere, which is likely more damaging than exhaust released at ground level. The environmental costs of any form of air travel are not fully incorporated into the costs to consumers. Both technologies should continue to be developed, and we've also seen hybrid propeller-turbines, which are intriguing, too.

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xFruits - 21st Century Green Tech. - 3 new items

21st Century Green Tech

• 1. Climate Change is Creating More Space Junk

• 2. Solar Car Race Is Underway

• 3. Sweden Now Using More Biofuel Than Oil

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Climate Change is Creating More Space Junk  

2010-06-25 19:39

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There are lots of consequences of a warming world, a lot of them easy to infer and understand (i.e. melting glaciers), but some consequences have come to light that weren't so expected, like a reduction in crop nutritional value and, now, an increase in space junk orbiting the earth.

Scientists at the University of Southampton have studied the orbits of 30 satellites over the past 40 years and discovered that they're taking longer to drop out of orbit and burn up.  The scientists think that increased CO2 in the upper atmosphere is causing it to cool and become less dense, slowing the braking effect and allowing satellites and spent rockets to circle for longer.

The researchers measured a five percent reduction in density every decade at an altitude or 300 kilometers, leading to an increase in orbit time of up to 25 percent.

More space junk does pose a danger for spacecraft launches and will require more debris removal by space agencies, but with the scaling back of our nation's space program and bigger problems down here on the ground, it's not likely to become a major issue.

via New Scientist

 

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Solar Car Race Is Underway  

2010-06-25 19:09

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The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize competition isn't the only competition of green vehicles going on right now. The American Solar Challenge is also underway, with the teams racing solar powered cars from Oklahoma to Illinois over 7 days of competition. This year is the 20th anniversary of the competition, which began with the first Sunrayce in 1990. Seventeen teams from universities in the US, Canada, Germany, and Taiwan are racing the 1200 mile (1931 km) course which is due to finish in Naperville, Illinois on Saturday.

Though these are still very limited, specialized vehicles, the performance that the teams have been able to get from these vehicles is impressive. Some of the vehicles taking part in the competition have tested at over 100 mph (161 kph), although they are limited to 65 mph (105 kph) during the race.

Solar cars are testbeds for aerodynamic efficiency and lightweight construction, as well as for solar cells, batteries, and electric motors. While a commercial solar car isn't coming anytime soon, the engineering developments from these events do help to promote the improvement of transportaion efficiency.

Link: American Solar Challenge

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Sweden Now Using More Biofuel Than Oil  

2010-06-25 18:01

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There's more news on the sustainable and renewable energy front in Europe. Not only is wind power nearly on par with natural gas in Europe, but in Sweden now, biomass has passed oil as the top source for energy generation. The most recent figures indicate that biomass energy production reached 115 terrawatt hours in 2009, representing 32% of all energy consumption. At the same time, oil-based fuels were used to produce 112 TWh.  Biofuel use is expected to increase, while fossil fuel use should further decline in the coming years.

Biofueled combined heat and power (CHP) plants generate heat for more than half of the multifamily dwelling units in Sweden, as well as producing electricity. Sweden has a goal to have renewable energy reach 50% of all energy consumed in the country by 2020 and to be independent from imported fossil fuel for all transportation by 2030.

Wood is the source for the vast majority of the fuel used. However, the increased use of wood for energy has led to higher prices for other products requiring logs and paper pulp.

via: EERE Program News

Photo courtesy of: Mattias Hedström, wikipedia commons

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xFruits - 21st Century Green Tech. - 3 new items

21st Century Green Tech

• 1. Wide Variety of Vehicles Makes Up the X-Prize Field

• 2. Government Mandates New Labels for Light Bulbs

• 3. Efficient X Prize Cars Racing in Knockout Stage

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Wide Variety of Vehicles Makes Up the X-Prize Field  

2010-06-24 19:04

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The variety of vehicles in competition for the $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize is amazing. There are 21 teams still in competition, spread across three categories. But rather than converging on one particular general design style, as the solar car competitions have tended to do, the X Prize competitors vary hugely. Some, including the amp'd Sky and American HyPower Prius, are essentially just modified conventional vehicles. Others are completely custom built. A number of the Alternative division vehicles are more unusual looking, including three wheeled vehicles fielded by Future Vehicle Technologies and Zap Electric. Alternative tandem class vehicles also include the enclosed motorcycle by Monotracer and the extremely narrow (39" wide) Commuter Cars' Tango.

Most teams have only a single vehicle in the competition, but one team, Edison2, has vehicles entered in all three classifications. And while most of the teams still in competition are comprised of teams of professional engineers, there is also the West Philly Hybrid X Team which includes students from an after school program of the Academy of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering based in West Philadelphia High School, a public high school serving one of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in the city of Philadelphia.

The testing was delayed for a couple hours as a thunderstorm swept across southest Michigan, but vehicles were on the track later in the afternoon. Groups of six vehicles at a time were on the track while EcoGeek was there, and we have pictures of many of the different vehicles after the cut.

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Government Mandates New Labels for Light Bulbs  

2010-06-24 19:01

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The US Federal Trade Commission has announced a final ruling on new labels for light bulbs.  The labels will break down the "lighting facts" of bulbs much like a nutrition label on food products.  With CFLs, LEDs and other lighting technologies filling the shelves alongside incandescents, the labels will help consumers find what they're looking for.

The major change that these labels bring is using lumens to indicate the brightness of the bulb instead of watts, that way all bulbs will use the same terminology and consumers can compare them easily.  Other statistics listed on the labels will be:  yearly energy cost, the bulb's life expectancy, light appearance (on a scale of warm to cool), energy used (wattage) and, for CFLs, a warning that it contains mercury.

The clear labeling of cost and energy savings over time, could help more efficient lighting win over consumers who haven't made the switch yet.

The new labels should start showing up in the middle of next year.

via TreeHugger

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Efficient X Prize Cars Racing in Knockout Stage  

2010-06-24 17:22

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A number of unusual vehicles are on the track at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn MI this week. The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize competition is now in the knockout stages, and the competitors have come to MIS to participate in a series of trials.

Wednesday and Thursday are media days as the testing was taking place on the 2-mile track. Testing includes City, Urban, and Highway segments. Rather than being a simple endurance race, there are speed limits and a number of starts and stops, in order to better simulate real-world driving conditions. At this point, competitors have to achieve at least 67 MPG equivalent and CO2 emissions of not more than 300g/mile or be knocked out of the competition.

The goal of the automotive X Prize is to promote the development of a new generation of viable, safe, affordable and super fuel efficient vehicles that people want to buy. The X Prize consists of Mainstream and Alternative class, with the Alternative further subdivided into side-by-side and tandem seating divisions. While performance is an important part of the competition, factors including manufacturability, marketability, safety, and durability are also part of the final evaluation. The Mainstream winner will receive $5 million of the total $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize purse, and $2.5 million apiece will also be awarded to the winner of each of the Alternative divisions.

There is also an opportunity to win $3000 in the fan voting. We'll have more coverage from this stage of the X Prize here on EcoGeek. The final winners are scheduled to be announced in September.

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xFruits - 21st Century Green Tech. - 3 new items

21st Century Green Tech

• 1. Europe Will Be Powered By Saharan Sun in Five Years

• 2. Astounding Phase-Change Windows

• 3. Can Painting Mountains White Save Glaciers?

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Europe Will Be Powered By Saharan Sun in Five Years  

2010-06-22 18:28

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The super-sized solar projects being built in the Sahara desert will start generating and providing Europe with clean energy within the next five years, according to the European energy commissioner.  This is much sooner, than the initial 10-year time frame given to the project.

The EU and many European companies are helping to fund a large scheme of solar projects in Northern Africa called Desertec in hopes of using that energy to meet a target of having 20 percent of its energy come from renewables by 2020.  The first phase of projects will have a capacity in the hundreds of megawatts, while over the next 20 to 40 years, the capacity will reach hundreds of gigawatts.

The electricity will be transmitted to Europe with new inter-connector cables being constructed under the Mediterranean Sea, but will also service African nations.

via Reuters

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Astounding Phase-Change Windows  

2010-06-22 18:20

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A remarkable new glazing system has been available in Europe for several years and is now being brought to the North American market. The GlassX window is an insulated glass assembly that incorporates a phase-change material (PCM) between two of the glass panes in the window. At lower temperatures, the PCM is a translucent solid. But, as it heats, the PCM melts and becomes transparent. This lets the window itself absorb heat from solar energy during the day, and then releases the energy again later on, as the material cools again.

The combination of good insulating windows along with heat storage makes these windows very useful for passively designed buildings. PCMs are excellent heat storage materials, and the GlassX windows are able to store as much heat as a 9" thick concrete wall. Even in its solid, translucent state, the GlassX windows allow more than 25% of the exterior light through, so that daylighting is not entirely lost. The windows also incorporate a diffuser that reflects high angle light from the sun in summertime, while allowing low angle light in the winter to pass through more directly.

These are not ready replacements for the current windows in most homes. The GlassX windows are over 3 inches (8 cm) thick and weigh nearly 20 pounds per square foot (100 kg/m2). They are also rather expensive at $60-90 per square foot ($560-$970/m2), but the company expects payback on these to be under ten years. There are several installations of the material in Europe, but as yet there are none in North America.

via: @bglive

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Can Painting Mountains White Save Glaciers?  

2010-06-22 17:37

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We've all heard about painting roofs white to keep buildings cooler, but will the same idea work for a mountain?  The World Bank is funding an experiment in Peru to see if whitewashing mountains can slow glacial melt.

The 15,600-foot Chalon Sombrero mountain near Licapa, Peru is the testing ground for this project.  A team, led by inventor Eduardo Gold, have already covered two hectares with an earth-friendly paint made from lime, industrial egg white and water.  The goal is to cover the entire summit in the solution -- about 70 hectares.

Gold won $200,000 in funding for this idea through a "100 Ideas to Save the Planet" competition.  The hope is that as sunlight is reflected off the white surface, back into the atmosphere, the peak's surface will become cooler, creating a cold micro-climate that will regrow its glacier.

The Peruvian people have supported the project.  Chalon Sombrero supplies fresh water for the Licapa village, and many other villages around Peru -- home to 70 percent of the world's tropical glaciers -- are dealing dwindling water supplies from disappearing glaciers (22 percent have melted in the last 30 years).

The idea has its share of critics, with glaciologists saying that although there may be a positive impact on a very localized level, it's highly unlikely that it would work on a larger scale across the Andes.

via BBC

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xFruits - 21st Century Green Tech. - 2 new items

21st Century Green Tech

• 1. LG's Solar Hybrid AC Is Great in Theory

• 2. Carbon Nanotubes Could Be Secret to Greater EV Range

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LG's Solar Hybrid AC Is Great in Theory  

2010-06-21 19:44

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Solar-powered air conditioning -- it's a great idea.  On those days when the sun's rays are heating you up, a solar PV-outfitted AC unit would use those rays to cool you down.  It's a perfect match, in theory.

LG has introduced a solar hybrid air conditioner that works on that theory, and it does work, just not well.  The PV-covered unit generates up to 70 watts of clean solar power per hour, but most AC units use more than 2,000 watts when running, so that leaves a lot of slack to be picked up by the grid.

Now, that's not really LG's fault, instead the problem lies in solar PV efficiency (or lack thereof).  There are more efficient technologies being developed in labs all of the time, they just haven't made it to market.  Down the road, we may see a solar-powered AC unit that contributes more than a tiny slice of renewable energy (which is still better than nothing), but for now, we'll bet on NREL's super-efficient AC.

via Engadget

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Carbon Nanotubes Could Be Secret to Greater EV Range  

2010-06-21 17:43

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Scientists at MIT have developed a positive electrode made of carbon nanotubes that significantly boosts lithium ion battery performance and could lead to much greater range in electric vehicles and longer battery lives for gadgets.

The carbon nanotube electrodes enable lithium ion batteries to deliver ten times more power than a conventional battery and store five times more energy than a conventional ultracapacitor.  The nanotubes accomplish this because they have a very high surface area for storing and reacting with lithium, which increases the battery's storage capacity and the speed at which it can charge and discharge.

The MIT scientists have already licensed the technology to a battery company (as yet, unnamed) and are perfecting quick methods of making the electrodes, like spraying the nanotubes on a substrate, to facilitate mass production.

MIT Technology Review

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xFruits - 21st Century Green Tech. - 9 new items

xFruits - 21st Century Green Tech. - 2 new items

21st Century Green Tech

• 1. Zero-Energy Fridge Uses Gel to Preserve Food

• 2. Pocket-Sized Fuel Cell Charges Gadgets Away From Home

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Zero-Energy Fridge Uses Gel to Preserve Food  

2010-06-16 20:14

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This one's a weird one, kids, but still cool.  A new concept for a zero-energy refrigerator uses an odor-free, gel-like substance to cool and preserve food items.

The Bio Robot Refrigerator was designed by Yuriy Dmitriev and is currently a semifinalist in Electrolux's Design Lab competition.  The Bio Robot has no motor, compressor or other electrical components, but it does contain a green biopolymer gel that uses luminescence to preserve food.

To store food, you press the item into the gel, which then envelopes it, creating a "separate capsule" for each product.

The designer highlights its benefits as being:  zero-energy and silent operation, four times smaller than a traditional fridge, but maximized storage space and the absence of doors allows horizontal or vertical placement and displays food in plain view.

I'm not sure how you'd go about cleaning this refrigerator, or how it'd handle storing, say, a pot of soup, but any zero-energy concept is OK by me.

via EcoFriend

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Pocket-Sized Fuel Cell Charges Gadgets Away From Home  

2010-06-16 18:31

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Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, a maker of cool fuel cell gadgets, like hydrogen-powered toy cars for kids, has introduced their coolest gadget yet:  a pocket-sized portable fuel cell power plant that can charge your cell phones, MP3 players and other devices.

The MiniPAK, as it's called, comes with two refillable cartridges that each store the same amount of energy as 1,000 disposable AA batteries.  It can charge devices requiring up to 3W and has a DC output of 2.5W.  It contains an air-breathing fuel cell and a solid-state hydrogen storage unit (meaning no self-discharging of the energy).

The cartridges, called Hydrostiks, can be refilled with an included home recharging unit that uses water and electricity to generate and store the hydrogen.

The MiniPAK costs $100, not a high price to pay for grid-free charging on the go.

via Inhabitat

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xFruits - 21st Century Green Tech. - 5 new items

21st Century Green Tech

• 1. Appropriate Technology Solar Powered Refrigerator to Store Vaccines and Save Lives

• 2. New World's Largest Airship 'Stratellite'

• 3. Pacific Island Kingdom of Tonga Thinks Nuclear Power Is the Answer

• 4. NREL Says Power Grid Can Handle Large Increase in Renewable Energy

• 5. Students Build an EV in 10 Weeks

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Appropriate Technology Solar Powered Refrigerator to Store Vaccines...  

2010-06-12 03:12

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The distribution of vaccines through the developing world is sometimes limited by a lack of available refrigeration for the storage of the vaccines. In some parts of the world, more than half of the vaccines spoil before they can be administered. Millions of lives and billions of dollars are lost due to a lack of refrigeration. A new solar refrigerator developed by the Appropriate Technology Collaborative can provide lifesaving cold storage for vaccines with an inexpensive system that can be built from locally available materials.

The solar refrigerator is now entered in competition for the NASA Tech Briefs Create The Future Contest. The refrigerator needs no electricity and should require only minimal maintenance since it has no valves or moving parts. With the ATC refrigerator, it is possible to maintain WHO and UNICEF compliant "chain-of-cold" storage of vaccines.

"The ATC Solar Vaccine Refrigerator is a robust, easy to maintain technology that can be made in the country or region where it is to be used. It is made out of simple materials that can be found in most cities: steel, charcoal and ethanol or methanol. The finished product has no moving parts that need maintenance and it doesn't use electricity of any kind. One simply places it in sunlight and it freezes. Period. (Note: If the sun doesn't shine it can run on biofuels)"

Appropriate Technology Collaborative is a non-profit organization headed by former EcoGeek contributing writer John Barrie. ATC works to develop technologies to improve the lives of people in developing countries. But, unlike a host of other such organizations, ATC works to make systems that can be built and maintained by local engineers and local workers. ATC's designs are made available through Creative Commons and published online to make them available in developing countries and so that other NGOs can copy or improve upon their work.

You can vote for the ATC Refrigerator design at the NASA Tech Briefs Create The Future Contest.

via: Sustainable Design Update

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New World's Largest Airship 'Stratellite'  

2010-06-11 20:11

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In a further sign that airships are making a comeback, the first model of what is now the world's largest airship has been recently launched. The Bullet 580 measures 235 feet (more than 71 meters) in length, more than 40 feet longer than the Goodyear blimp (though not nearly as large as airships of the past such as the Hindenburg or the USS Macon).

Compared to heavier-than-air aircraft, airships are relatively slow, lumbering vehicles. But what they lack in speed they can more than make up for in the time they are able to stay aloft. At present, the Bullet 580 can stay aloft for more than 48 hours, and it is expected it will eventually be able to remain in flight for more than a week. The Bullet 580 can fly at faster than lumbering speeds, as well - it can go up to 80 mph (129 kph) and has a cruising speed of 35 to 40 mph (55 to 65 kph).

The ability to stay in the air for long periods of time is useful for both military as well as civilian uses. A high-altitude airship acting as a 'stratellite' fills a gap between conventional aircraft and satellites. The airship is orders of magnitude less expensive to launch than a satellite would be. It is capable of carrying a payload of up to 2000 pounds (905 kg) to an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,100 meters). Applications for such long-duration airships include use for surveilance in defense and security applications, survey of natural resources, agriculture, and forest fires, and telecommunications.

The Bullet 580 is expected to have a price of roughly $8 million.

via: MNN

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Pacific Island Kingdom of Tonga Thinks Nuclear Power Is the Answer  

2010-06-11 16:56

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The king of Tonga has told the nation's parliament that he believes the country should pursue nuclear power in order to meet its energy needs. The king is quoted as saying, "nature is dictating that we must look to nuclear energy." A nuclear power station would also aid the country by providing desalinated water. At present, almost the entirety of the nation's electricity comes from diesel generators, and importing diesel fuel is an expensive proposition.

The country also has outlined an energy plan, developed in 2009, which has called for half of its power to come from renewable resources. The king's recommendation was unexpected in the face of these existing plans, and might be a calculated political move intended to draw further support from non-nuclear neighbors Australia and New Zealand.

Contemporary nuclear reactor designs are vastly larger than the relatively modest electricity needs of Tonga.  One suggestion the king offered was to use the country as a test-bed for a small experimental reactor.  However, wind and solar could almost certainly be deployed less expensively to provide the 20 to 30 megawatts of capacity the country needs. And solar desalination systems are also in development, and could be used to address the country's freshwater problems.

via: BBC News

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NREL Says Power Grid Can Handle Large Increase in Renewable Energy  

2010-06-11 16:00

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One of the major issues facing the growth of renewable energy is figuring out how it will be transmitted and what kind of infrastructure changes will have to be made to accomodate it.  NREL has good news for us.  It turns out that the existing grid is ready to take on lots more wind and solar energy with little changes necessary.

A new study by NREL found that the nation's power grid is able to handle a large increase in renewable energy, but there will have to be operational and organization changes.

The study looked at the benefits and challenges of having wind and solar energy make up 35 percent of energy capacity by 2017.  The study used the WestConnect group of utilites as a testing ground (they cover the mountain and southwest states) and found that it was possible for that group, with existing transmission networks, to achieve a 30 percent wind energy and 5 percent solar energy portfolio.

The study found that expanding coordination of power delivery to a larger geographic area, and doing so more frequently (as wind and solar conditions changed), reduced the need for back-up energy generation (like from natural gas) and new transmission.  Also, wind and solar forecasts would become essential for utility operations.

NREL found that if the WestConnect utilities generated 27 percent of their electricity from wind and solar, carbon emissions would be lowered by as much as 45 percent.  Fuel and emissions costs would fall by 40 percent.

via NREL

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Students Build an EV in 10 Weeks  

2010-06-10 19:21

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Graduate students at Stanford University designed and built an EV in 10 weeks as their master's thesis.  They're calling the vehicle, which can hit 35 mph and has a range of around 20 miles, the WENG, which stands for "Where Everyone Needs to Go."

The WENG's motors are located in its rear wheels, the battery pack is under the floor board and the steering and driving are controlled with a joystick and throttle.

Calling the WENG "stripped down" would be an understatement, but let's start with the positive things we can say about this project.  We'd be remiss if we didn't mention how cool it is that five students were able to build a working electric vehicle in 10 weeks.   That's quite an amazing feat.

Also, the purpose behind the WENG -- to encourage people to question whether they need a full-size, four-door car for all situations -- is a noble and relevant one.  As one of the designers, John Stanfield said: "why are people driving 4,000 to 6,000 pound internal combustion cars to the grocery store?"

But let's face it, the neighborhood EV concept hasn't really taken off and the WENG, with it's bare-bones go cart appearance probably won't attract many buyers.  That's right, I said buyers.  The students envision a 50-mile-range commercial version and representatives from Light Speed Venture Partners are interested.  They think it could sell for just under $10,000.

via WENG Motors

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