Category Archives: Alternative Energy
Water heaters perform a very important task each day in our lives. But have we ever thought about how much electricity gets consumed while heating or cooling the water. If not electricity, some time even gas might be used for heating purposes. Very precious are fuels in such crucial times and we should take every step to find alternative means to perform such tasks. This new water heater by Gorenje Tiki is a heat pump mounted on your water storage tank that draws heat from the surroundings to heat the water. This pump is also layered with a thermal system from the inside to disinfect the water by preventing bacterial growth. The pump can heat water up to 55°C. At the same time, the pump can be used for cooling smaller rooms. Compared to oil heating or gas heating, the investment in heat pump pays off in few short years.
[Appliancist]
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Oyster Energy Generator, the world’s largest hydro electric device produces power by pumping high pressure water from the waves into the hydro-electric turbine on the shore and this power is fed into national grid. This device was officially launched in Orkney, Scotland at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) on 20th November. Oyster device will reveal the rare pearl of wisdom about potential of wave energy. Marine energy from tidal waves is another high potential renewable energy with zero emission and can be tapped by countries which have long shorelines.
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NASA’s International Space Station will be delivered supplies by nine solar powered Orbital Science’s Cygnus cargo ferries and the whole feat will be orchestrated through global cooperation. The cargo ferries will be built by Orbital Sciences of Virginia, USA while the shell of the cargo will be put together by Italy’s Thales Alenia Space and the entire solar array with solar cells and solar panel substrates will be tested and integrated by Dutch Space. Solar energy is the cleanest energy option for such space endeavors since solar powered vehicles are completely disposable and they don’t leave behind space litter.
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Just like last year, when Times Square used energy generated by riding a snowmobike to power the New Years Eve lights, Time Square has decided to take a cue from its own actions and this time around once again they have decided to go the green way. New York which is always an over crowded city is going to thoughtfully make the most of its population this new years. For the 2010, Duracell unveiled its smart power Lab where tourists and even the locals can burn some o their energy by simply pedaling away on a ‘Power Rover’. The energy thus generated by the people will be converted and used to light up the 2010 numerals when the ball drops on New Years Eve. This Smart Power Lab is located right next to a Charmin-promotes bathroom which also facilitates a rechargeable point where even Xbox games can be played and pictures can be taken with the replica of life sized 2010 numerals.
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Modern world is exploring renewable energy options desperately and the effort is paying off. First Wind’s Milford Wind Corridor project completed its first phase of large wind farm project in Utah. With a capacity of 203.5 MW, this wind farm is the largest green energy facility of the state. The power it will generate will be purchased by Southern California Public Power Authority for coming 20 years. It is expected to generate power supply for at least 45,000 homes in US.
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Going Solar has been always easier said than done because of many logistics factors apart from its efficiency. They are mainly sheer magnitude and number of solar panels that would be needed to generate enough energy to run a household and cost effectiveness. Technology is changing it all and Armageddon’s Three Leafed SolarClover design for rooftop solar panel takes care of all these issues including the cost. These hexagonal solar panels are made of silicon solar cells embedded on Teflon held by polymer structure (instead of glass ones used in standard solar panels) and hence are light in weight. Each three solar panels unit which forms one SolarClover generates about 400 watts of electricity at the cost of $6/watt (one dollar less than industry standard). So it does make going solar not just green but cheap too.
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Parking lots have been a very good answer to organized space management all these years. But with the environment almost getting degraded so quickly, it is essential and high time we thought of better ways to generate electricity. With the future looking very bright as far as using electric cars is concerned, though fossil fuels will not be wasted, but a lot of electricity would be while charging and recharging such vehicles. It would be best if such parking lots could generate power from alternate and renewable sources of energy like the sun to be able to power and charge vehicles as well as light up the parking lot at least. ‘Think outside the Parking Box’ is a concept developed by Designboom and Nissan who have designed a unique ‘Solasis Light Tower’ that generates energy using the cars’ windshields to shine sun onto the solar power concentrating tower adding valuable juice to the grid.
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After sailing in water and in air, it is time to unfurl sails in the space and year 2010 may actually be marked as the year of beginning of solar sailing. Two different space experiments are set to use light pressure from sun to demonstrate that space propulsion is possible. These sail will be covered with a thin solar cells film to generate required electricity to acquire and transmit data. If these work then one would not need chemical fuels to drift around within solar system. These sails will be best energy efficient and zero emission way to study the sun and other planets.
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Much research is being conducted to make solar energy more commercially viable for sustainable future. In one research U.S scientists have created underground photovoltaic cells which are connected to fibre optics cable whose exposed ends can tap sunlight or any light energy and conduct it to the underground panel. Another breakthrough has been then 3-D solar panel system which uses zinc coated fibre optics cable. These are major breakthrough because installing and maintaining solar panels overhead on buildings, cars, and houses are not only expensive hassle but also very unaesthetic.
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One of the amazing gifts of technology is AC (air conditioner) but unfortunately it consumes much power and is also responsible for the depletion of Ozone layer. Briz Solar Powered Window Blinds designed by Nari Kim and Phullip Lim is a wish come true for all eco conscious and eco friendly people. It does function as AC by cooling the room but it uses water as coolant. Briz also ensures normal air circulation through windows and its functionality is extremely simple it cools the hot breeze as it makes it way in to the room.
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