greengearonline.com

2009-04-26T16:27:00.001-04:00

SUNfiltered: Earth Day Design — the RainXchange Rainwater Harvesting System

By Jeff McIntire-Strasburg on: rainxchange

Earth Day provides us with an opportunity to both reflect and act on our desire to use the planet’s resources in a sustainable manner. As we’ve noted in numerous posts, water may be the one resource we should focus on more, individually and collectively. No doubt, many of you have water-saving activities planned; a few of you may already be at work installing low-flow shower heads, faucet aerators, or even rain barrels.

Rain water harvesting makes a lot of sense: the initial investment can be quite low (especially if you do it yourself), and your plants love rain water. Unfortunately, as Rachelle Carson Begley once noted, an awful lot of commercially-available rain barrels are, well, ugly.

PREFAB FRIDAY: Container Homes for the Tropics

By Bridgette Steffen on: Shipping Containers/ tropical housing

Inhabitat’s Prefab Friday columnhas seen its fair share of shipping container homes, but we’ve never seen shipping containers paired with bamboo as a construction material before. But now, Bamboo Groves, a design and construction firm in Costa Rica, has developed some great designs for homes made from insulated shipping containers and bamboo. Developed for the tropical climate, these prefab homes are different from the designs we are accustomed to — those designed for temperate or cooler climates. Many of these prefab and shipping container homes focus on passive heating and cooling. But in warmer climates, such as Central America, construction requires a different tactic - insulating from the heat and providing lots of natural ventilation to help cool.

Read the rest of PREFAB FRIDAY: Container Homes for the Tropics

2009-04-26T16:19:00.001-04:00

"Fluorescent-Killing" Bikei LED Tube Lamp

By Jack Moins on: LED lighting

Lighting consumes as much as a third of the energy budget of industrialized nations. This amounts to massive carbon dioxide emissions, and high expenses. Cutting even a fraction of these costs seems an attractive option.

LED lighting has arisen as a potential challenger to these older designs. It features a high efficiency, using less than 60 percent of the power of incandescent lighting and sometimes even less than fluorescents. And while costs of LED lighting are currently high, key breakthroughs have helped to send prices dropping into the realm of affordability.

For businesses that currently have fluorescent tube lighting looking to jump on the LED trend, there is a commercial option at last -- well, if they're in Japan, at least. Toshin Electric Co Ltd, a Japanese firm has released the Bikei LED tube lamp.

The tube lamp is designed as a drop-in replacement for fluorescent tubes (not to be confused with compact fluorescent bulbs, aka. CFLs) and features a long silicon substrate with lots of LEDs mounted on it, enclosed in a glass tube. The unit is be a bit pricey at $306 compared to around $14 for a fluorescent tube. However, the rated life is 40,000 hours, nearly 8 times the normal life of a standard fluorescent tube. Another perk is that the LED tubes are mercury-free, while traditional fluorescent tubes feature toxic mercury.

The LED tube also consumes only 20 to 24 watts, about half of what similar fluorescent bulbs its size do. It outputs 370 lumens, which is less than a traditional fluorescent tube, but has superior color quality to the emitted light, something office workers will, no doubt, appreciate.

Toshin plans to market the tubes to factory and store owners as well as local municipalities which employ fluorescent lighting in train stations and tunnels, or in street lamps. If you're a business owner in the U.S. and are as geeked about LED lighting as we are, unfortunately you'll have to wait for now. However, the market is growing fast, so it shouldn't be long before these designs hit the States as well.

via: GoodCleanTech

2009-04-26T16:17:00.000-04:00

Arava Power Plans 80 Megawatt PV Plant

By Yoni Levinson on: Solar Power

Israel is a country that, along with the rest of its Middle East neighbors, gets a lot of sunlight. However, aside from its nearly ubiquitous rooftop solar water heaters, Israel has no solar power production facility of any kind… until now. Arava Power, a solar PV startup, is planning to break ground on an 80 MW facility. For reference, the current largest PV power plant (according to pvresources.com) is 60 MW, in Spain.

Arava had to secure approval from the Israeli government in order to rezone the land (which belongs to kibbutzes, traditional Israeli agricultural communities) for use as a power generating facility. Coming to terms with the Israel Electric Company was another major accomplishment – the IEC agreed to built a transmission line connecting the PV plant with the rest of the grid.

Driving all this progress is Arava’s founder, Yosef Israel Abramowitz, and chairman Ed Hofland, a veteran of Kibbutz Ketura – the kibbutz that is partnering on the project. Abramowitz started out his career as a journalist and political activist in the US, and later founded his own media company. He moved to Israel in 2006 to “take some time off”, but when he arrived he was shocked to discover that none of Israel’s electricity came from solar power, despite the powerful Middle Eastern sun rays. He decided then and there to found what eventually became Arava.

2009-04-26T16:15:00.000-04:00

IKEA Launches Solar Lighting Line

By Megan Treacy on: Solar Lighting

Solar lighting has really taken off and more options are hitting the market, but unfortunately, a lot of them are still pretty expensive. Well, IKEA has come to the rescue with a new line of solar lighting that is pretty, functional and, best of all, IKEA-priced.

Most of the lights are meant for outdoor use, but a couple of the options, like the desk lamp featured in the picture above, are suited for indoors. All of the nine lighting options feature rechargable batteries that can be juiced up from nine to twelve hours of sunlight. The lights are, of course, LEDs. You can click here to look at the available designs. All of the solar lights are available in stores, but not online.

While these lights are not ground-breaking, I'm still very excited by the fact that they're being sold in a mass-market environment. The more stores that carry affordable, good-looking pieces like these, the more people who will have them in their homes, using solar energy instead of electricity!

via: GoodCleanTech

2009-04-26T16:14:00.000-04:00

Panasonic Introducing Home Compost Machine in Japan

By Megan Treacy

Panasonic has developed an electric compost machine for home use that turns your organic trash into fertilizer in just a few hours. The machine will be released at the end of April in Japan and there's no word as to whether it will be sold in the U.S.

The machine, the MS-N53, uses a platinum-palladium catalyst to break down the garbage and features settings to create wetter or dryer compost. Users can pick their preference and the trash will compost in three to six hours depending on the selection.

The drawbacks to this seemingly nifty gadget are the size and the price. The machine can only compost two kilograms of waste and with a platinum-palladium catalyst, you know it's going to be expensive. The MS-N53 will sell for the Japanese equivalent of $881.

With the current global mindset of saving instead of spending, I think the MS-N53 will have a hard time finding people to buy it. The idea is a good one. Most people would be keener on the idea of composting if they didn't have to worry about the time it takes to wait for waste to become fertilizer and especially if they could cut out the smells during that time, but it will take a much cheaper price to truly entice people. If this concept were improved with a lower price and a bigger capacity, I think Panasonic could be onto something.

via: GoodCleanTech

2009-04-26T16:10:00.002-04:00

Home-Heating Mirrors

By Hank Green on: Solar Power

Photovoltaics are wonderful, but there are some far cheaper ways to harness the power of the sun to do good work for us. Capturing the sun's heat with solar water heaters, for example, is a far cheaper way to reduce your electricity bills than trying to turn that power into electricity.

Well, a new company called Practical Solar wants to take that up another step, and simply use mirrors to focus sunlight on your home, to keep it warm in the winter. Of course, this only works for people who get direct sun in their yards, and who live in sunny but cold places, but that's not an insignificant number of people.

Two of these Practical Solar-controlled mirrors focused on a room (preferably through a window) would have the same effect, roughly, as a space heater. Use ten of them, and you could burn your house down! (Note to Practical solar...please password protect the control system to protect against vengeful neighbors.)

The devices also provide natural lighting at almost all times of the day, so one could save power that way as well. Of course, having a little sun in your yard shining white-hot light into your eyes might detract from the view out of your window, but it's better than a high heating bill!

via: GreenTechMedia

2009-04-26T16:09:00.000-04:00

Shower Head With Automatic Shutoff

By Yoni Levinson on: Water

When you live in Australia, droughts are very real, and water conservation is a part of life. One Australian recently came up with a household invention to help reduce the amount of water being used in the shower. The device, called the Aqualim (presumably the “lim” refers to “elimination” of water waste, or possibly “limit”), rations out a certain quantity of water per shower. After the quantity is used, the shower reduces its flow as a warning, and soon afterwards shuts off.

Thus, if you say to yourself, “I want to get my water usage under X gallons”, the Aqualim makes it extremely easy to do so without constantly worrying if you’ve gone over. Of course – as is the case with many self-control devices – if you’re the kind of person who’s sensitive enough to buy an Aqualim, you are probably more water-conscious than most people already. Also, there is a reset button; if you really want a longer shower you can just hit it.

But the device does address the tendency people have to linger in the shower after they’ve already washed up. Even someone who truly does not want to waste water might lose track of time, or simply not shut off the shower because hey, it feels nice in here and it’s pretty early in the morning.

That’s why I’m going to vote in favor of this device. Think of it as an alarm clock for the shower. If we had to rely on our own will power to wake up in the morning, we’d all be late for work (bloggers excluded). Plus, the Aqualim could work synergistically with a low-flow showerhead to reduce water usage even further.

via: Inhabitat

2009-04-26T16:06:00.000-04:00

MIT Made a Virus Make a Battery

By Hank Green on: Batteries

Those crazy lab rats at MIT are attempting to radically diminish the cost of producing sophisticated nanotech cathodes and anodes by enlisting viruses to do the hard work for them.

New lithium ion batteries are being designed with increasingly sophisticated cathodes and anodes that allow fast charge, controlled discharge, longer lifetimes and higher power densities. The problem is, as these components become more advanced, so too do the batteries. Which is why practical electric vehicles (now that they're feasible at all) seem to be generally out of my price range.

The team at MIT genetically engineered viruses to excrete certain proteins. Those proteins then react with chemicals introduced to the environment to create complicated structures. Proteins are very good at directing compounds to create complicated structures...like life forms.

The viruses, in effect, pull the needed compounds (gold and cobalt for the anode and iron phosphate and carbon for the cathode) into nanowires. Both the cathode and the anode for the battery were constructed by viruses, though the battery created is only big enough to power a calculator, they same technique could be used to make batteries for cars.

The best thing is, all you need is the viruses (which are easy enough to multiply exponentially in a lab) and the raw materials to create these sophisticated components. So the cost of advanced battery production could drop like a rock.

Unfortunately, the batteries being produced are not up to the standards of traditionally designed nanotech batteries. They can only go through about 100 cycles (vs. more than 1000 for today's batteries) before starting to lose their charge. Of course, the team is confident that they can direct the viruses more effectively and increase that number significantly.

This technique could also mean a more cost-effective way to build and test new battery chemistries. The team is already experimenting with slightly different cathodes and anodes to attempt to increase power density.

And so maybe soon viruses will be doing all our work for us.

via: GreenTechMedia

2009-04-26T16:04:00.001-04:00

CFLs Even More Like Incandescents

By Philip Proefrock on: CFL

"I don't like the twisty shape of compact fluorescent bulbs; that's why I don't use them." We've come across this excuse as one of the reasons people don't use CFLs.

GE now has an answer for that. The new GE Energy Smart CFL places a much smaller electronics package inside the neck of the bulb, and puts the familiar twisted fluorescent tubes underneath a cover, so that the entire bulb has the same size and shape as a conventional incandescent bulb.

The new bulbs started to arrive in some stores around the beginning of this year, but will start to be more broadly available (including being in the inventory of some big box chains) around Earth Day later this month (April 22). In addition to the 15-watt bulb, the line will eventually include 9-watt and 20-watt versions to be available by the middle of the year.

So, if there's a fixture where the the bulb is visible and you can't stand the idea of a visible CFL spiral, or if you have that beloved lamp with the shade that clamps directly onto the bulb, now you can fit it with a more responsible and energy-saving bulb that offers the appearance of an incandescent profile.

via: Sustainable Home

2009-04-26T16:03:00.001-04:00

Florida Planning Solar-Powered City

By Megan Treacy

In the past couple of years, there have been quite a few plans unveiled around the world for fully sustainable cities and communities that run on a combination of renewable energies, but a new plan for a city in Florida would be the very first completely solar-powered city.

Florida is known for its sunny weather and solar projects have been successful there, so it makes sense that the state would stick to what it knows works. Utility Florida Power & Light is teaming up with Kitson & Partners to develop the 17,000-acre community called Babcock Ranch that will be near Fort Myers. The entire community will run off of a $300 million, 75 MW solar-powered generator.

The city will have a smart grid that will manage the energy used and generated and residents will have smart home features that allow them to monitor and control their energy use. Electric cars will have access to charging stations throughout the city and the street lamps will be solar powered too.

If this sounds like somewhere you'd like to live, you won't have to wait too long to move. Construction on the solar facility begins later this year and the city center will follow next year. The city will eventually include 19,500 homes, 6 million square feet of retail and light industrial space and 8,000 acres of green space. Beyond all the eco-friendly features of the new community, it also promises 20,000 permanent jobs. It sounds too good to be true, but I hope it isn't.

via: Inhabitat

2009-04-26T15:59:00.002-04:00

Google Debuts PowerMeter Energy Monitoring Tool

By Mike Chino on: Energy

From joule-counting energy jars to twittering power monitors we’ve got power meters on the brain as of late, what with the upcoming Greener Gadgets Conference and Design Competition. Proving that great minds really do think alike, we’re excited to hear that Google is getting into the energy-saving act with their recently debuted PowerMeter. The application will collect information from utility meters and energy monitors and provide easy access to energy statistics right from your iGoogle homepage.

(more…)

2009-04-26T15:54:00.003-04:00

LOTTO TURM: Stuttgart’s Shipping Container Skyscraper

By Bridgette Steffen on: Shipping Container tower

In the center of Stuttgart, Germany, lies an odd roundabout called Oesterreichischer Platz. Speeding traffic circles around it, and for the last 40 years no one has found much use for it, except as a parking lot. Now German designer Lars Behrendt has conceived of an incredible tower for the unused site that is comprised of 55 shipping containers stacked up like blocks. The Lotto Turm would function as a mixed-use development with a sphere at the top, which would be used to announce the city’s lotto numbers.

Read the rest of LOTTO TURM: Stuttgart’s Shipping Container Skyscraper

2009-04-26T15:50:00.003-04:00

Michelle Obama To Plant White House Edible Garden

By Bridgette Steffen on: White House Garden

Eleanor Roosevelt’s World War II-era Victory Garden was a shining example to Americans that they could grow their own food. And now Michelle Obama is following in her footsteps, taking up the cause by planting an 1,100 square foot edible garden on the South Lawn of the White House. Her hope is to educate children about locally grown food, inspiring them to eat healthier and encourage their families and community to follow suit.

Read the rest of Michelle Obama To Plant White House Edible Garden

2009-04-26T15:46:00.003-04:00

Is Boxed Water Better?

By Margaret Teich on: Water/Recycling

Only 14% of plastic water b ottles are recycled, and Americans add 30 million PET water bottles to landfills every day! Aiming to provide an alternative to this alarming trend, Michigan-based Boxed Water Is Better is filling FSC-certified Tetra Pak boxes with Minnesota water and in doing so, giving us a new way to tote H20. But is boxed water truly the best option, or are there more ecologically-sound alternatives at hand?

Read the rest of Is Boxed Water Better?

2009-04-26T15:40:00.003-04:00

TOP SEVEN GREENWASHINGS!

By Jill Fehrenbacher on: Propagreenda

Now that green is trendy, marketers are starting see green when they hear the term ‘green’. As the green movement grows, so does the amount of ‘green-wash’ out there - stuff that is marketed to look ‘green’, organic or healthy, but in reality is anything but. Every industry seems to be susceptible to green-washing, from consumer goods, to buildings, to food. Here are the top ten worst examples of greenwash we’ve ever seen…

1. ‘Eco-shaped’ bottled water

2. Hybrid SUVs

3. Carbon credits

4. ‘Eco-friendly’ Mega Mansions

5. ‘Organic’ restaurants that don’t server vegetarian food

6. The Swiffer

7. ‘Clean Coal’

2009-04-26T15:36:00.004-04:00

Worm Factory Compact Composting Kits

By Janet Lina on: Vermicomposting/ worm factory

The uneaten food and food preparation scraps we leave behind after ever meal weigh in as the single-largest component of the waste stream in the U.S. Want to do your part to reduce food waste but don’t know where to start? Washington-based Cascade Manufacturing Sales Inc. designed The Worm Factory, a composting kit complete with almost everything you need to reduce the amount of kitchen scraps, junk mail, and old newspapers you’re sending to the landfills. The Worm Factory promises odorless year-round operation, and with its compact footprint, it can even be used in apartments.

Read the rest of Worm Factory Compact Composting Kits

2009-04-26T15:31:00.002-04:00

A Starter Guide To Urban Gardening

By Marjorie Dunlap on: Urban Garden

So you’ve picked up a compact composting kit and are ready to start recycling your food scraps into nutrient-rich compost - the next step is to start a garden! For those with budding green thumbs, urban gardening can be an intimidating prospect. To clarify a sometimes-mysterious process, we’ve put together a very brief how-to guide on starting a flourishing container garden replete with herbs, veggies, and flowers.

Read the rest of A Starter Guide To Urban Gardening

2009-04-26T15:27:00.002-04:00

PREFAB FRIDAY: The Annie Residence

By Bridgette Steffen on: Prefab/ Rooftop Garden

This modern and warm prefab home is a stunning example of the beauty and quality you can achieve through the efficiency of prefab construction.. Inspired by multiple cultures, this eye-catching design by Austin-based Bercy Chen Studio features outdoor living space, water features and lots of windows to create a comfortable and attractive home. The home is constructed with a modular steel frame and thermasteel panels for an efficient and waste-minimizing design. With two families living in this home, the architects divided the house, providing separate, but inter-connected living areas for each family.

Read the rest of PREFAB FRIDAY: The Annie Residence

2009-04-26T15:19:00.002-04:00

RENOVATION: A Home Built Around 3 Trees

By Olivia Chen on: Xeriscaping

Trees are often the victim of building construction, so we were excited when Jeremy Levine shared his design for a Eagle Rock renovation and addition — built around three existing trees — in Los Angeles with us. The project included renovating the current home while adding 400 square feet to the existing house. Jeremy’s design for addition not only preserved the existing trees on the site, it integrated them into the design of the home by creating a courtyard to help the owners appreciate the trees’ beauty. Additionally, the home features everything from passive daylighting and evaporative cooling to keep the interior comfortable and solar panels and a green roof to minimize the house’s environmental impact.

Read the rest of RENOVATION: A Home Built Around 3 Trees

2009-03-16T17:46:00.002-04:00

Vote For the Best Green Gadgets: Winners Will Be Judged Live at Greener Gadgets 2009 in NYC

In water conservation

The name may have unintended word associations, but the idea behind the Blight is pretty cool. All images: Core 77

Well, the 2009 Green Gadgets Conference in New York City will be upon us in just a few weeks and in the run-up to that Core 77 has posted the top 50 entries which will be in competition. And they want you to help narrow down the choices to 10, which will be part of a live judging event on February 27. Voting is now open and runs until the 20th.

Blight is an optimal indoor lighting solution that is able to replace current lamps without any need of electric supply. With Blight we have not produced a new object; we have just created the design of an everlasting product: the Venetian blind. We use all the current functions of this object and add a little technology to give it a new function - to catch solar energy and convert it into electricity.   This solar blind creates a link between indoor and outdoor, taking the daylight during the day and giving it back at night (more)

via:treehugger

2009-03-16T17:43:00.002-04:00

Save Money and the Environment with Smart Energy Meter

Treehugger on: Energy Meter

ONZO, the designers of some of the coolest energy meters on the market, have revealed their new smart energy kit. The kit consists of the Onzo display and the sensor, both pictured here. This little set can store up to ten years worth of data on household energy use and can deliver that information in ways that are useful to help control energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint. In addition to the pleasing design, largely originating from Glasgow-based design house Lightweight Medical, this energy meter possesses some amazing features.

What gets measured gets improved, one hears often repeated. So if you want to save money and the environment, start measuring. The Onzo display has a reversible back which allows users to stand it on a shelf, attach it to the refrigerator or hang it on a wall. Rechargeable batteries minimize the environmental impact of the display. Key information is easily readable on the monitor, and it is supplied with a USB cable for connection to a computer, enabling users to access intelligent web-based services. (more)

via:treehugger

2009-03-16T17:20:00.003-04:00

PREFAB FRIDAY: Thailand’s Modular Green Home

By Bridgette Steffen on: Sustainable Building

This very interesting prefab home was designed specifically for the Baan Lae Suan Fair, a home and garden expo in Bangkok, Thailand. The theme for the 2008 fair was ‘Green Home Effects’ — and the main attraction of the show was this prefab container home by Bangkok-based firms, Site-Specific and Buatalah Studios. The model home is made from four re-used shipping containers and prefabricated modules. The prototype is an attempt to re-wire the methodology behind building a comfortable and sustainably-built home while meeting the needs of a Thai family.

via:inhabitat

2009-03-16T17:15:00.002-04:00

Re-Cover House Wins AIA Award for Renovations

By Bridgette Steffen on: Reused materials

When the new owners of this beautiful wood-clad home decided they needed to update and add a bit more space to the house, who better to renovate it than the architects who designed the original? Re-enter, New York-based Bates Masi + Architects, who worked out a plan to enlarge the kitchen and dining areas, modernize the bathrooms, and refinish the floors, walls and counter tops. Materials and wood from the house were kept and re-used in the renovation, minimizing the need for new materials.

via:inhabitat

2009-03-16T17:09:00.003-04:00

LIGHTS OUT: Earth Hour Goes Global on March 28th!

By Jorge Chapa on: Sustainability Event

Earth Hour is a worldwide event that encourages individuals to unite in the fight against global warming by turning off their lights and spending sixty minutes outside with friends and family. Over the past two years the simple idea has grown into a monumental movement, and this year’s event is aiming for 1 billion participants. Earth hour 2009 takes place on March 28th at 8:30pm local time, so save the date, flip the switch, and see how this simple individual action can make a profound collective statement!

Read the rest of LIGHTS OUT: Earth Hour Goes Global on March 28th!

via:inhabitat

2009-03-16T17:08:00.000-04:00

AeroGarden: Easy, Efficient Indoor Gardening

By Pamela on: Indoor Plants

In 2004, MetaEfficient.com pre-reviewed the AeroGrow aeroponics growing system. That was before the system was released. A couple of years ago, you couldn’t cut on your TV without seeing an ad for AeroGrow indoor gardening systems. It isn’t as ubiquitously advertised now, but it hasn’t disappeared from the market. In fact, five years after its initial release, there are several AeroGrow systems for consumers to choose from. Now that the AeroGrow system has been tried and tested, how has it fared?

(more…)

2009-03-16T17:06:00.001-04:00

World’s Brightest Single LED Flashlight: Neofab Legion II

By Chris on: LED flashlight

A triumph of careful thought, detailing and thorough testing, the Neofab Legion II is a new single LED flashlight that is said to produce a whopping 742 lumens. If accurate, this light will be the brightest single-LED in the world. (more…)

2009-03-16T17:03:00.001-04:00

HippoRoller Water Carrier – Simple Efficiency With A Far-Reaching Payoff

By Benjamin on: Food and Drink

HippoRoller Water Carrier (photo: HippoRoller.org)

Water is an immediate, fundamental need for human survival, but one in six people worldwide don’t have immediate access to water resources, particularly in arid regions of southern Africa. The HippoRoller is a deceptively efficient water carrier with the potential to offer huge health, economic, and social benefits to developing communities.

(more…)

2009-01-31T15:56:00.000-05:00

New Research: LED Lights Could Soon be as Cheap as Incadescents

By Philip Proefroc on: Energy efficiency

A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge has found a production method that could lead to cheaper LEDs within a few years.

LED lights are a technology that most EcoGeeks are hoping to see in widespread distribution. LED lights can be even more efficient than compact fluorescent lights, and they don't contain mercury like CFLs do. LEDs also have a much longer lifespan, and can operate for 10 times longer than fluorescents and 100 times longer than incandescents. They're just still a little expensive, up to $100 / bulb.

One problem with producing LEDs is that the substrate typically used for LEDs is sapphire, rather than silicon, which can be used for many other semiconductors. Many LEDs are made from gallium nitride which is grown into crystals at a temperature of around 1000 C (1832 degrees F). Unlike other electronic components, which can be fabricated on a silicon base, gallium nitride shrinks faster than silicon when it cools, which leads to cracking and failure. Sapphire has a rate of shrinkage and cooling that closely matches the LED compounds, which makes it a suitable substrate.

The University of Cambridge team's development is a method to make LEDs incorporating aluminum gallium nitride, which shrinks much more slowly as it cools, and allows the production of LEDs on silicon wafers like other components. "A 15-centimetre silicon wafer costs just $15 and can accommodate 150,000 LEDs making the cost per unit tiny."

With the commercialization of this process, inexpensive LEDs may become available, and a superior alternative for lighting can help save billions of kilowatt hours of electrical demand.

via: New Scientist

2009-01-31T15:48:00.003-05:00

Most Efficient Toasters

By Siel on: Kitchen Appliances via:metaefficient

What makes a toaster efficient? Read through reviews of popular toasters, and you’ll see that many people seem to care more about the bells and whistles — automatic lowering of bread, pleasant dings when toasting is complete, and the like — than anything else. (more…)

via:metaefficient

2009-01-31T15:34:00.006-05:00

IS IT GREEN?: IKEA

By Adrianne Jeffries on: Waste Reduction

Americans demand low prices and giant warehouse stores where they can buy anything they want. We may not like it, but big box retailers are a part of life. But don’t assume that being big is bad. Massive, world-wide retailers can make a difference especially because they are that big. Enter IKEA, a company with stores all over the world. Critics say that IKEA is a landfill-waste generator because they make huge volumes of stuff that doesn’t last. IKEA only started working toward sustainability in 1999, when it published its first set of environmental priorities, but their new slogan is “low price, but not at any price.”

(more…)

2009-01-29T17:20:00.003-05:00

Green Depot Building Supply Opening Next Month in NYC!

By Mike Chino on: Sustainable Building

Attention all green builders, architects, and eco-minded homeowners in NYC! We’re excited to announce that Brooklyn-based Green Depot will soon be hitting the Bowery with an extensive green building supply store and showroom. Offering everything from environmentally friendly building supplies to eco-products and green living services and solutions, the preeminent sustainable building supply store is making strident efforts to address the need for affordable, accessible green products. Designed by Studio Mapos, the store will preserve much of the building’s original structure and is aiming for LEED Gold or Platinum upon its opening on February 12th.

(more…)

2009-01-29T17:12:00.003-05:00

DT House: Bioclimatic Box That is Out of This Biosphere

By Haily Zaki on: Green Building

Jorge Graca Costa is a prize-winning young architect whose design mantra has always been “architecture for a better future.” As his first major residential project, DT House is a resounding expression of his particular approach. This compact box is a perfect example of how smart, energy-efficient design principles can be applied practically (and beautifully) to fulfill the many requirements of human living. In this case, thinking inside the box, Costa gives us a bioclimatic beauty that is completely out of this biosphere.

(more)

2009-01-29T17:10:00.000-05:00

Reflective Plants Could Cool The Earth

By Megan Treacy

Scientists at the University of Bristol in England have come up with an idea they say could cool the planet by 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer: reflective plants. As opposed to large-scale engineering projects that have been proposed to achieve this in the past, planting more reflective crops would take advantage of a global system already in place (agriculture) and its potential can be proved in less risky and expensive ways than say, a huge sunshade erected in space.

The scientists are not proposing changes in which crops are planted since shifts could cause major disruptions in available food and to the land they're planted on. They suggest instead that existing crops be bred or genetically engineered to be more reflective by changing the waxiness and arrangement of their leaves, among other things.

The plan isn't foolproof obviously. The cooling would only occur in areas with large amounts of arable land, meaning central North America and a band across Europe and Asia would see cooling effects, while the Southern hemisphere would see far less benefits. The other drawback is the time it would take to engineer crops for reflectivity and then to implement the new versions globally.

I think it's a more realistic idea for global cooling than others that have been suggested, but it's still not a real solution. I'm not completely discounting it. I'm sure some good could come from planting crops in a more thoughtful way, but I'm still convinced that the only way to really turn this crisis around is through a major reduction in the use of fossil fuels and a dramatic change in how we use energy. Ideas like this excite me because they prove how inventive we can be, but I'm not sure there will ever be an easy solution.

via: NY Times

2009-01-29T17:08:00.001-05:00

NYC's New Incredible Eco-Island

By Hank Green

The City and State of New York bought an old island off it's coast from the federal government for a whopping $1 in 2003. Since then, they've been struggling to turn the once dilapidated island into a tourist destination. But now, with a plan from West 8, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Rogers Marvel Architects, the Governor's Island is going to become one of New York's most interesting and greenest tourist (and local) destinations.

The park will be traveled only by pedestrians and bicyclists, and everyone will have access to a huge bank of wooden bicycles for use on the island. The designers will create a huge amount of artificial topography using fill from construction projects in the city. The focus of the attractions will be in local nature. A floating restaurant will serve seafood straight from the Hudson, a marine center will open the eyes of young ecogeeks to the splendor of our ocean and several rubber bubble buildings will contain botanical and aquatic research centers.

via: Inhabitat

2009-01-29T16:59:00.001-05:00

Not All CFLs Are Created Equal

By Philip Proefrock

Although, from an energy consumption perspective, almost any compact fluorescent light (CFL) is better than the incandescent bulb it replaces, some CFLs are better than others. A recent report from the Environmental Working Group has identified a long list of over 1000 models of CFL bulbs that fail the 2008 standards.

More than 3,000 light bulbs qualify for the Energy Star logo under current standards,issued in 2003. But 1,100 of these bulbs do not meet the 2008 Energy Star standards for energy efficiency. The reason: the Department of Energy has postponed the effective date of the 2008 standards to July 1, 2009, giving the bulb industry a 6-month "grace period," to sell a 100 million bulb inventory that has backed up because of the economic slowdown.

On the other hand, the same report also includes a list of their most favorably rated CFL bulbs in a Green Light Guide. Many of the bulbs in the guide have less than 2mg of mercury, versus an average of 4 milligrams for all CFLs.

via: treehugger

2009-01-18T00:02:00.002-05:00

Back Lane Intensification by Pyatt Studio

Treehugger on: Green building

Many older cities have infrastructures with back lanes, relics of an era when streets were for people, and you kept the horses and the cars in the rear. It worked well; you could put the houses on narrower lots, and the garages were useful for a lot more than just vehicles. It also provides a great opportunity for urban intensification, although it is really tough to get approved and defines the term NIMBY. But who could say no to something as elegant as this studio in Boulder proposed by Rob Pyatt? (more)

via:treehugger

2009-01-17T23:54:00.003-05:00

Passive Homes Heat Up Around the World

By Alexandra Kain on: Zero energy

Passive design is architectural design that eliminates the need for mechanical heating and cooling of a building through the use of smart, time-tested heating and cooling strategies such as natural ventilation, solar heat gain and solar shading and efficient insulation. Around 15,000 passive houses have been built around the world in a few short years, yet few are cropping up the United States.

Scandinavian and German-speaking countries are sweeping the industry and streamlining the modern family’s heating bill in the process. Passive homes seem to be the next logical step in, well, logical design - German Bauhaus style coupled naturally with Scandinavian modernism, later exploding into what we now know as mid-century modern. Now with 2009 well underway, the world’s budding designers are leaning on the shoulders of sustainability, while passive design is planting its feet in the homelands of Alvar Aalto and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

(more…)

2009-01-17T23:49:00.001-05:00

Tesla Batteries to Power EV Smart Car

By Hank Green on: Electric Cars

To those of us who were starting to wonder whether Tesla would ever do anything useful for non-millionaires, we now have proof they will. Though they are still stalled on the manufacturing plant for their less-expensive sedan, they will be helping to produce cheaper electric vehicles.

Specifically, they'll be providing the battery packs for Daimler's electric Smart Car! Elon Musk made the announcement after I left the Detroit Auto Show (nothing important ever happens on the third day of the show!!)

According to Musk, the program is already well underway and they already have a prototype battery pack ready. The pack will find it's way into 1000 pure-electric smart cars in the next year or so, and a portion of those will be coming to the U.S. for testing in urban markets in 2010.

This is the kind of collaboration that's really exciting to hear about. And though I'd like to see more than a paltry 1,000 pure EV Smarts out there, until the infrastructure starts getting in place, it'll be difficult to sell these things in the cities where they are most practical.

via:ecogeek

2009-01-17T23:42:00.005-05:00

The Best Water Filters Of 2009

By Justin on: Water Filters

Note: To jump straight to the water filter reviews click here.

If you seek information today about water purification you’ll probably encounter a lot of misleading claims. Much of the misinformation comes from water filter manufacturers eager to sell expensive purification systems. But information from local governments also tends to gloss over issues of water pollution–it’s not in their interest to point out problems with municipal water.

(more…)

2009-01-17T23:39:00.002-05:00

Incredible Hotel Made From Salvaged Wine Casks

By Alexandra Kain on: Recycled Materials

Ever fallen asleep alongside a good glass of French wine? How about inside a cask of good French wine? The De Vrouwe van Stavoren Hotel in the Netherlands salvaged four wine casks from Switzerland and converted them into rooms. Formerly filled with 14,500 liters of Beaujolais wine from the French chateau, each now holds a modest two-person room with standard amenities and even an attached bathroom and sitting room. Visitors from all around the world have traveled to the quaint northern port town of Stavoren to stay in one of these upcycled rooms.

(more…)

2009-01-17T23:30:00.004-05:00

A Charming Barn Converted into a Contemporary Home

By Bridgette Steffen on: Sustainable Building

Growing up in a barn has never been this modern. Simon Conder, a British architect, is responsible for this beautiful conversion of a group of farm buildings in Buckinghamshire. Three old farm buildings were attached and then remodeled in order to provide a unique home for a family in the UK. Clean, modern lines and the nostalgia of the old world come together to create a warm and inviting space in this wonderfully charming home.

(more…)

2009-01-17T23:26:00.001-05:00

Portable Power Stick Charges in 10 Minutes

By Megan Treacy on: Alternative Energy

One of the more useful gadgets to debut at CES last week was the ZipCharge by Freeplay Energy, the company that brought us the first hand-cranked radio. The ZipCharge is a power stick that recharges in 10 minutes with enough power to fully charge a cell phone or iPod. That significantly cuts down the time it takes to charge your devices when you plug them in directly.

The secret to the speedy charge is a nano-phosphate lithium cell fed by intelligent circuitry. The portable power stick has a USB port and multiple adapters so that it works with 85% of cell phones, iPods and iPhones. So, no matter where you are when your cell phone or MP3 player dies, you won't be without for long.

The ZipCharge hits shelves in March for $80.

via CleanTechnica

2009-01-14T14:04:00.001-05:00

2010 Prius to Get 50 MPG, Solar Roof

By Hank Green

Toyota just unveiled the third generation Toyota Prius, a car that has absolutely revolutionized the industry and what it means to be environmentally conscious in a car-centric world.

It's easy to say that this third generation car isn't as big of an advancement as the last two were. But I'm actually going to say that I'm pretty dang impressed.

The car is bigger, more spacious, has better acceleration and actually improves mileage number significantly. This new Prius is the most efficient production car in America OF ANY SIZE. If Honda was still making the original Insight, yes, that would beat it, but the 2010 Prius truly will be the most advanced and most efficient car on the road.

New to the car, aside from all of the various innovations that made it's tremendous mileage numbers possible, is a solar sun roof, which will keep the vehicle cool on hot days, eliminating the need for huge bursts of AC, and thus strain on the battery.

The car will also have three selectable driving modes. EV, which will keep the car running on pure electricity (of course, only to low speeds,) ECON which will make sure that the Prius saves the maximum amount of energy while driving normally and POWER which will turn your Prius into a 1969 muscle car! OK...well, not exactly. It'll just keep the car as responsive as possible without much of an eye toward efficiency.

I'll have more pictures and a video of the launch up shortly. But for now, bask in the glow of the culmination of the hybrid electric vehicle. This is the pinnacle, now all that's left is moving closer to pure electric cars.

via:ecogeek

2009-01-14T14:01:00.001-05:00

Cree to Light Up Pentagon, Save 22% of Power

By Hank Green on: LED lighting

Cree, one of the world's largest LED makers has just ended a test-period of lighting some Pentagon offices with a deal for outfitting the one-fifth of the building.

The contract is for 4,200 recessed lighting units, which sell retail for $380 a piece. So this is definitely a seven-figure deal for Cree. The lighting units showed a 22% efficiency increase over the Pentagon's old fluorescent lighting fixtures.

The project was funded by a Department of Defense program called Title III which was created to “promote creation and strengthening of domestic industrial capabilities to support national security needs.” Sounds logical to me, now if they could just take care of the other 45,020,192 light fixtures the U.S. government owns and operates.

via: Earth2Tech

2009-01-10T16:48:00.004-05:00

Rechargeable 9 Volt Lithium Polymer Batteries: Efficient

By Justin on: lithium polymer

When buying 9 volt batteries, you might want to consider a rechargeable Lithium Polymer 9 volt batteries. As far as I know, iPower is the only company that makes rechargeable 9V lithium polymer batteries. Their batteries are the same size as a 9 volt alkaline battery. They also have approximately the same capacity as an alkaline 9V–the iPower lithium polymer is rated at 500 mAh, and the “professional” version is rated a 520 mAh. They will actually outperform a 9 volt alkaline battery in high drain applications.

Lithium Polymer batteries use a new gel-type electrolyte. This gel has an energy density that is 20% more than typical lithium ion batteries. They also last 2 to 3 times longer than rechargeable 9V NiMH batteries, and they hold their charge longer. See this forum thread with a discussion of the performance of this battery.

(more)

2009-01-10T16:39:00.002-05:00

Underwriters Laboratories Introducing Green Label

In Green Products

Labels and standards are a touchy and confusing subject. Who sets them? What do they cover? TreeHugger readers have seen companies just calling themselves green, companies inventing their own labels (like SC Johnson), Companies going to third party labels-for-hire to certify what they think is important but may not be, (Like LG Eden and SCS) Labels that cover only one aspect (like Energy Star and Greenguard), and labels that let the manufacturer submit data for claims without verification (~~like EPEAT~~-see comments)

Then, for the last hundred and sixteen years, there have been Underwriters Laboratories. They are a pain. They are expensive if you have a product you need certified. They are expensive if you want to buy a copy of a standard. They are rigorous and thorough and slow and did I mention expensive? But when a product has a UL label you know it has been put through the wringer. And now they are going to certify products and tell us if they are truly green.

(more)

2009-01-10T16:14:00.003-05:00

PREFAB FRIDAY: Containers Manufactured For Housing

Bridgette Steffen on: Prefab Housing

Shipping container buildings have gained incredible popularity over the last year. And now here is another one to add to the list - the 2+ Weekend House by Jure Kotnik Arhitekt. This mini housing unit is constructed from two stacked containers, and can be shaped according to its owner’s particular needs using the ConHouse System. The difference between this prefab house and the rest of the houses we’ve seen is that this house is made from containers specifically manufactured to housing units, and not recycled shipping containers.

(more…)

2009-01-03T13:36:00.003-05:00

Concept LED Device Gives Air Quality Alerts

Treehugger on: Green Gear gadget

Photos via Yanko Design

A concept device by designer Yasuhiro Akama would be pretty handy to have while walking in cities. It uses different colors of LED lights to alert users to the quality of the air they're breathing. The little clip-on gadgets would measure the quality of the air and light up either red for dirty air, white for "normal conditions," or green for clean air.

via: Yanko Design

2008-12-31T15:56:00.000-05:00

Panasonic to Buy Sanyo, Focus on Solar and Battery Businesses

By Megan Treacy

Last Friday, Panasonic announced that it was buying Sanyo for $9 billion, a deal that Panasonic hopes will launch the company's solar and battery businesses. Sanyo will become a part of the Panasonic group and bring with it their large solar PV business.

As an example of Sanyo's commitment to solar energy, the company plans to build a 70MW solar manufacturing facility in Oregon this coming year. Panasonic hopes to capitalize on projects like these, as well as expand into crystalline silicon solar cells and to develop next-generation solar cells.

Along with a large expansion into the solar business, Panasonic will be making "active investments" in lithium-ion batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. Panasonic hopes the collaboration with Sanyo will bring lucrative contracts with large automakers.

This is a smart move on Panasonic's part. The tide is turning in the electronics sector and businesses need to start moving in a greener direction and expanding their offerings. Consumers have made it known that they want more eco-friendly products and eco-saving innovation. This is clearly the path to long-term success for electronics companies.

via: Earth2Tech

2008-12-31T15:49:00.002-05:00

New Flat Fluorescents are Cheaper, Better and More Efficient

By Hank Green

Starting in 2014, incandescent bulbs will no longer be sold in America. While compact fluorescents certainly have an early lead in the race to replace the bulb, flat-fluorescent lamp maker Lumiette, might have have a claim to a big hunk of the market as well.

These new bulbs were actually designed to be the backlight in LCD televisions, but by the time they'd finished their factory, the market for 32 inch backlights had dropped away. So, what do you do with a factory that produces ultra-efficient, easily dimmable lamps for televisions that television manufacturers don't want.

Make it into a lightbulb company, of course!

They're even more efficient than regular fluorescents, and last far longer. The lamp's electrode is actually outside of the bulb, so it doesn't degrade as quickly. This also allows the lamp to be extremely thin (just a few millimeters) and easy to dim (unlike CFLs...if you've noticed.)

The big problem, however, is the form factor. You're not going to be plugging these into your Edison lamp sockets. They'll be great for replacing traditional fluorescent fixtures, of course. But if you want to get them in your home, you're going to have to do it as part of a larger re-model.

(more)

2008-12-30T12:55:00.004-05:00

Efergy Smart Electricity Meter helps you cut down energy consumption

By DeshRaj on: Efergy Smart Electricity

Efergy tells you every 6 seconds how much power you are consuming, how much money this is costing you and an estimate of your personal contribution to the climate change. If you turn a set of lights ON or OFF, you can see INSTANTLY the change this has to your energy use. Once you have this information to hand means you, your family, or business, can visually see the benefits of saving energy.

The data is stored daily in an easy to access CPU memory so you can actually see the effects of your changing energy habits.Comparing day-to-day usage gives you direct feedback of how daily changes of habit toward energy use can have an effect on costs and estimates the personal contribution to the climate change in terms of carbon emissions.

The Efergy meter is an excellent educational device. It is easy to use, displays personal energy consumption and increases awareness of important issues related to electricity, energy and the environment.

via: hardwarezone

2008-12-30T12:45:00.006-05:00

Ultracapacitor Flashlight Charges Up in 90 Seconds, Lasts 135 Years!

These days there are hardly any products you can say that are truly built to last a lifetime, but this might indeed be the case with the Light For Life UC3.400 flashlight from 5.11 Tactical. The Light for Life uses ultracapacitors instead of batteries to charge up in a blink of an eye 90 seconds and can be recharged over and over 50,000 times! The heavy duty flashlight is aimed at those in professions such as the police and military, offered at $170 and available sometime early next year. All things considered, the flashlight seems like a steal.

The Light for Life™ contains no batteries, but rather a proprietary energy management system that utilizes revolutionary ultracapacitors and computer circuitry. Ultracapacitors have the ability to quickly load energy, and then quickly unload it – producing the flash in most cameras. Up until this point, no one has been able to control both the way the ultracapacitors load, store and unload the energy. The ultracapacitors also have the ability to release energy at precise levels while maximizing performance and run time. The proprietary circuitry, together with the ultracapacitors, is what makes Flashpoint™ Power Technology.

Available for pre-order here.

[via DVICE]

2008-12-30T12:36:00.000-05:00

Habitat for Humanity ReStores

In Homestead

As a builder, woodworker and general do-it-yourselfer, I've been in my local ReStore every week since they opened. The concept behind Habitat for Humanity's ReStores is a building supply thrift outlet whose proceeds go to funding more Habitat projects. Everybody wins. Everything in the stores is salvaged, used, dontated or surplus, so the prices are incredibly reasonable. I just refinished a garage for well under half of what I would have paid retail by buying most of the supplies from a ReStore -- everything from the lighting to OSB board and 2x4's we used to make the temp walls. We even found some sound-deading insulation which helped sound-proof the place. So you never know what you might find.

The store in Dover has a volunteer demo crew that goes a few times a month on various demo projects and they usually produce a lot of usable material. The stock and materials do vary from week to week, but they have everything from engineered hardwood floors to tools to kitchen sinks. The quality also varies, but really only when dealing with items such as sheetrock and lumber. All the appliances are in working order and, at least at the one in Dover, there's a large selection of very nice kitchen cabinets. As a carpenter, I also go in during the day just to buy extra nails, joist hangers, and other little odds and ends that add up at the end of the year.

Currently, there are ReStores in 47 U.S. states and 9 Canadian provinces.

-- Dave Marcoux

ReStores

2008-12-30T12:30:00.007-05:00

A Grassy Green Showroom Springs up in Beijing

By Alexandra Kain on: Green Roof

A 500 square meter “floating garden” was recently constructed in Beijing, China for the temporary Guanganmen Green Technology Exhibit. The gorgeous green-roofed structure was designed by Vector Architects and is situated in the central lawn of a residential project by CR Land. Vertical grass walls envelope its steel frame, maintaining heat efficiency and minimizing rainwater runoff. Blanketed in greenery, the showroom will float as an extension of the public lawn, allowing pedestrian traffic to flow freely through it.

The installation also features an integrated irrigation system and, of course, a public exhibition on CR Land’s green building technology. The exhibit was designed to go up and down quickly and with minimal impact. Set for deconstruction in 2011, the steel frames will be salvaged for future projects and the grass panels will be moved to a permanent home on an adjacent fence at the residence compound. + Vector Architects

via: ArchDaily

2008-12-30T12:22:00.003-05:00

HOW TO: Make Your Own Green Cleaning Products

By Jill Fehrenbacher on: HOW TO

To many, the idea of making your own cleaning products out of household items may sound a little crunchy — but if you really stop and think about it, it makes good economic, environmental and health sense. Not only are homemade cleaning agents much safer and healthier for everyone in your family than harsh store bought cleaners, but they can save you a lot of money as well. In an economic climate like this one, that’s good news. It’s a lot easier than you might think to make your own eco-friendly homemade cleaning products. All you need are some lemons, baking soda, vinegar, and the desire to get clean and green.

via:inhabitat

2008-12-29T15:04:00.002-05:00

Gardener's Holiday Gift Supports Regional Seed Saving in NC

With growing conditions varying tremendously from place to place, it seems insane that the majority of seeds grown in the US come either from the Pacific Northwest, or Japan, Holland or Israel. Matthew has noted before how saving seeds is a critical strategy for adapting to climate change. Just as open-source programming makes for better software, so a living network of farmers, gardeners and plant breeders is our best bet for maintaining a dynamic and secure gene pool of crops for our future. Now a charity that I am involved with is offering a chance for folks in the Carolinas and the South East to give the gift of diversity by purchasing a ‘share’ in the Abundance Pepper as a gift.
The Abundance Foundation (whose work with local agriculture and renewable energy I wrote about before being asked to join the board) has been concerned for some time that our region lacks a viable seed industry. And even though some farmers and gardeners save seed, there is hardly the kind of culture of seed saving that we need to create a critical mass of regionally adapted crops.

(more)

2008-12-29T15:03:00.000-05:00

Energizer Getting in on the Solar Battery Game

By Hank Green

We stopped reporting on solar battery chargers a while back. It just seemed to me like a sub-optimal use of solar technology. I mean, for the most part, the panel sits around doing nothing. And it's not like battery charging uses a really significant amount of the world's energy (though it's certainly growing.)

But for those of you who have your hearts set on charging your batteries with the sun, the big guns have just joined the game. Energizer, who employs a bunny that is, apparently, fusion powered, is debuting a solar battery charger at CES in January.

The device will power charge AA or AAA batteries, and has a USB port for charging cellphones and iPods and the like. The weather-proof design hints at it's true use, charging up while beyond the reach of civilization.

Because, really, what's the use of back country hiking if you can't watch youtube videos on your iPhone while you're out there.

via: GoodCleanTech

2008-12-29T14:43:00.000-05:00

Find Out Your Roof's Solar Potential

By Megan Treacy

A few companies have sprung up recently that map an area's potential for renewable energy, but engineering company CH2M Hill is the first to map on a very detailed scale. Homeowners can use the software to find out the solar potential of their actual rooftop, not just their neighborhood.

The website, sf.solarmap.org, showcases the company's first mapped location, San Francisco. The website uses Google Earth to map the city and residents can look up their own homes, commercial or government sites. When a user types in an address, the map zooms in on a satellite image of that rooftop and displays information on the size and solar potential of the roof, estimated electricity that could be produced and electric bill savings, and the CO2 that would be avoided if that roof generated solar energy.

San Francisco has benefited greatly from this project since the city generally wasn't considered to have a wealth of solar opportunities. The website has revealed solar hot spots and the mayor now has a goal of generating 31MW of solar energy by 2012.

As the company adds more cities to it's mapping database, we could see a dramatic increase in the production of solar energy around the country. This type of software is greatly needed now when most people are ready to get on board with renewables, but they need more information to get the best results.

via: Time Magazine

2008-12-18T21:57:00.002-05:00

Apple Debuts the Greenest Macbooks Ever

By Alexandra Kain on: Green Gadgets

The folks at Apple recently debuted their latest line of sleek notebooks, and we were excited to hear that they’re the greenest Macs ever! They’ve removed many of the harmful toxins found in computers including mercury, arsenic and PVC and made the remaining parts nearly all recyclable. The software has also been redesigned to run on 30% less power than previous models, earning them Energy Star certification. And finally, Apple cut out nearly half of the bulky packaging to streamline their distribution and create less trash to bring home.

(more…)

2008-12-18T21:51:00.002-05:00

PREFAB FRIDAY: Greentainer Eco-fied Container Architecture!

By Jorge Chapa on: Prefab Housing

Re-using existing resources and a fabulous design sense combine to create this versatile and easily adaptable piece of container architecture, the Greentainer Project in Gandino, Italy. The Greentainer is a shipping container that has been gutted to provide flexible public space, perfect for a number of uses. And the best bit, as it is a container, one can simply pick it up, and haul it away to another location.

The Greentainer was designed by Exposure Architects. Measuring 12 meters long and 2.7 meters tall, the original shipping container was stripped down to its elemental structure and wrapped in glass. It comes equipped with a photovoltaic system that can supply all the heating and cooling needs of the space.

Much like the London subway cars we covered recently, these prefab structure are specially designed to be used for public space. With high visibility, it can be used as a small office, lounge bar or meeting room, just to name a few possibilities.

+ The Greentainer

via: JetsonGreen

2008-12-18T21:42:00.004-05:00

GREEN WEEKEND GETAWAY: Linda Aldredge’s Treehouse

By Jill Danyelle on: Sustainable Building

If you head north from New York City and hang a left on Route 28 up near Woodstock you’ll find yourself on a very scenic drive through Catskill State Park. Verdant hills dotted with lakes and ponds seem to roll on forever in between the forested mountain tops. It is here, up in the trees, that Linda Aldredge, the owner of LuLu Organics, built her weekend getaway. We came across Linda’s blog about her experience in the woods via a profile of her friends on The Selby. We immediately thought that Inhabitat readers would appreciate Linda’s treehouse as not only a sustainable shelter, but as a reminder of how functional and rewarding small and simple can be. Lucky for us, Linda graciously answered some questions and invited us for a treehouse weekend.

(more…)

2008-12-18T21:36:00.003-05:00

BIKE POWER: The Pedal-Powered Cell Phone Charger

By Alexandra Kain on: Transportation

Imagine never having to plug your cellphone into the wall again! Now you can just plug it into your bike with Oscar L’Hermitte’s “Watts Maker” cell phone charger. The system consists of a small kinetic generator that provides power to your mobile phone while you take an evening ride around the neighborhood or pedal to work. This model takes about 90 minutes to go from dead to fully charged, and it produces energy as long as the wheels keep turning.

(more…)

2008-12-18T21:35:00.000-05:00

Utility Renting Rooftops for Solar Project

By Megan Treacy

Would you be willing to rent your roof? That's just what Duke Energy will be asking people in North Carolina to do over the next couple of years. The utility is planning to rent space at 425 sites across the state to start generating solar power by 2010.

The power company originally wanted to install solar panels at 850 sites at a cost of $100 million, but the plan was struck down by a consumer advocacy group within the state's Utilities Commission. The revised $50 million project is expected to generate enough electricity to power 1,300 homes. All residential customers, whether they're renting their roofs or not, will pay 8 cents a month for the project. Commercial customers and factories will pay more per month.

Duke's ambitious plan is spurred by North Carolina's requirement that renewable energy produce 12.5 percent of the state's electricity by 2021. The utility thinks the project could go a long way towards meeting the state's goal if they could ultimately install panels at thousands of sites.

Duke isn't alone in their roof-rental idea. Southern California Edison and Austin Energy are both planning similar programs.

The idea is logical since most households can't afford the cost of installing their own solar PV units and utilities want to quickly add renewables to their portfolio. The downside is that the cost is pretty high for a fairly modest return in energy. I also wonder about the effectiveness of small solar panel installations scattered across a state compared to larger concentrated projects. Who knows? I could very well be surprised by the outcome. This just may be the next big thing.

via: Green Inc.

2008-12-18T21:33:00.000-05:00

Towers Could Be Urban Answer to Wind Turbines

By Megan Treacy

Wind power has so far been relegated to areas off-shore and rural, but a Cleveland State University professor wants urban centers to be able to join in on the fun too. Dr. Majid Rashidi has designed a helical wind tower that can harness wind from atop city buildings.

The spiraling towers, outfitted with miniature turbines at each spire, are expected to have a power generation ratio of 4:1, which would power the tower itself as well as contribute power to businesses, hospitals, schools or residential buildings.

While turbines are still the most efficient technology for harnessing wind, these towers would allow wind power to be generated in places where large, open space isn't available and could help bring renewable energy to where large populations live. One of the major drawbacks of wind power has been the transfer of energy from rural areas to populated areas. These towers allow electricity to be generated onsite, which is usually far more efficient.

Dr. Rashidi stresses that the towers aren't a replacement for turbines, only a way to complement them in urban settings.

via: GoodCleanTech

2008-12-18T21:32:00.000-05:00

Transparent Solar Windows

By Megan Treacy

Solar PV developers have been spending more time on aesthetics recently. They've created solar roof tiles that blend in with a building's roof and now RSi Solar has announced that they've designed transparent solar windows.

The photovoltaic windows generate 80 - 250 watts each, depending on the size. What is more impressive are the extra features the windows contain. Besides harnessing the sun's energy, they reduce heat, which reduces cooling costs and they provide a 100 percent reduction in UV and infrared radiation. They can be customized to include bulletproofing or to meet specific weather or climate needs.

The company claims this new design could result in energy savings of 50 percent based on a recent case study. The company is also working on smart home features like an electrical privacy curtain and the ability for the window to transform into a light panel.

These windows almost seem too good to be true and I can't wait to see them in action. RSi already has plans to install them in buildings in Las Vegas and Hollywood. Hopefully the technology will trickle down to more everyday buildings soon.

via Treehugger

2008-12-08T19:44:00.004-05:00

IS IT GREEN?: Eco-Labels and Certifications

By Adrianne Jeffries on: Sustainable Building

We all know it: Green is the new black. One of the many manifestations of the environmentalist trend/movement is that labels and certifications designed for the environmentally-conscious consumer have been proliferating like mad. Even if you’re savvy enough to know about LEED and FSC, there are dozens of lesser-known eco-labels. It’s hard to derive information from a label you’ve never seen before, but you may be able to figure out which category of label you’re looking at - government, proprietary, or independent agency. I’m taking this week’s Is It Green to blitz through some of these and give a little context to those logos.

(more…)

2008-12-08T19:41:00.001-05:00

Heat-Seeking Raygun Will Save You Cash

By Hank Green

In a very literal way, the Black and Decker Thermal Leak Detector is a heat-seeking raygun. It seeks heat, and tells you when it's not finding enough. And, when it senses a drop or increase in heat (because there is a compromised seal in a window, door, or wall joint) the "rays" (light) it fires change color. OK, maybe I'm stretching a little.

Pretty awesome though, especially for something that will only cost $39.99. There are a lot of services out there that will scan your whole house for heat leaks (and one city in the UK that is doing it for the whole city with spyplanes). But there's never been a way (aside from feeling with your hand) to do it yourself. Which is good news for homeowners, since sealing drafts can save you up to 20% on your home heating and cooling.

First you fire the gun at the wall, to give it a reference point, and then you just shoot the wall, windows and doors to find any temperature changes. You can set it to sense temperature changes of 1, 5 or 10 degrees F. So once you've gone over the house to fix any big leaks, you can start working on the smaller ones.

via: GoodCleanTech

2008-11-30T16:37:00.004-05:00

Science Barge: A novel way of sustainable urban farming

By Jayprashanth on: Environment

Taking sustainable urban farming to new heights, the Science Barge is one very different barge that floats on New York’s Hudson river. This barge produces food that’s sufficient for 25-30 people for one full year, in a sustainable way. To get around space constraints, the barge uses vertical farming methods to squeeze out maximum produce. electricity is generated on board with renewable solar and wind power. The solar panels see some useful innovation with them following the sun to become 20 percent more efficient.

To get around, the barge uses bio-diesel but as bio-diesel has a few question mark over it’s sustainability, we cannot give the Science Barge a brownie point for this particular energy source. We think, fuel cells would be a great option for this barge to move around. Rainwater is harvested from the greenhouses’ roofs or alternatively drawn from the river. All this to produce vegetables in a sustainable way with minimal adverse impact on the environment. Overall, the Science Barge is a great attempt at urban sustainable farming that has the potential to make community based sustainable farming very popular.

via: psfk

2008-11-30T16:32:00.002-05:00

Green Jobs - The Future is Now

In USA: Green Technology

Every morning I wake up to more bad economic news--increasing concern that we're entering a recession, the credit crunch, and increases in energy prices. And yet one industry is seeing growth despite the down times. The renewable energy industry is growing at a record pace. According to the American Wind Energy Association, the U.S. wind power industry installed 5,244 megawatts in 2007, expanding the nation's total wind power generating capacity by 45% in one year and injecting an investment of more than $9 billion into the economy. The solar industry added more than 300 megawatts of capacity last year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

From the Wall Street Journal article cited above, "(Solar power) [a]dditions are expected to roughly double this year. Large commercial solar installations now exceed home installations in California, reversing a long-term pattern and likely a bellwether for other states."

(more)

2008-11-30T16:26:00.000-05:00

Pasadena EcoHouse by Studio RMA

In prefab

Two years ago we wrote about Green Sandwich panels; then a year ago about BASF's spectacularly ugly Near Zero Energy Home, promoting their version of a green sandwich panel; now Studio RMA has taken the technology and built what one could truly call a new Case Study House, combining new technology with some classic California modernist design, and aiming for LEED Platinum. Studio RMA describes the system on their site devoted to SCIPs (structural concrete insulated panel)

(more)

2008-11-30T16:22:00.003-05:00

PHILLY PREFAB EXHIBIT: A Clean Break

By Haily Zaki on: Prefab Housing

This week our Prefab Friday radar went crazy when it detected A Clean Break’s green, prefab neighborhood in the City of Brotherly Love, hosted by Minima Gallery as a part of overall DesignPhiladelphia and National Design Week festivities. From October 17 to October 30 visitors can wander through a modern, green village featuring innovative design solutions from international architects and designers, including Alchemy Architects and Sustain Design/Altius Architecture. See what it means to live green in the neighborhood!

(more…)

2008-11-28T17:18:00.001-05:00

Curbside Composting: A Valuable Community Service

By Robin Shreeves on: Urban Gardening

This past spring, my family and I were able to get all the compost we needed for our vegetable garden from a local community’s compost pile at their department of public works. The compost was created from all of the leaves and yard clippings that had been collected curbside. Many communities collect leaves, clippings and other outside organic matter to turn into compost, but some communities are taking it a step further.

Cities such as San Francisco, Minneapolis, Toronto, and Boulder all have programs in place that allow residents to place food scraps curbside to be turned into compost.

Food that is mixed in with regular trash is estimated to make up about 40% of the trash in landfills. It also is the biggest offender in creating landfill methane which is a powerful greenhouse gas - 72 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Reducing landfill methane is just one of the benefits of keeping this type of waste out of landfills.

Innovative Desert Architecture from Binary Design Studio

By Olivia Chen on: Sustainable Materials

Desert living has long been characterized as a lifestyle that requires considerable intervention to be sustainable. Still, at least one team of architects and designers believes that the secret to living comfortably in the desert is already there - in two unlikely sources: desert plants and prehistoric dwellings.

Binary Design Studio, made up of Dale Clifford, Jason Vollen, M. Gindlesparger, and Eddie Hall, is a unique kind of architectural design firm that is looking critically at the conditions present in the desert and trying to create a site-specific methodology for building sustainable homes.

(more…)

2008-11-28T17:08:00.002-05:00

Recycled Subway Cars Turned into Studios in London

By Jorge Chapa on: Recycled Materials

Enterprising young artists in the London scene are usually presented with the dilemma of having to rent extremely expensive studio space in order to be able to work. This led furniture designer Auro Foxcroft to a rather ingenious and environmentally conscious solution. What was it? Take old subway cars, mount them on a rooftop, and use them for office space! A bit sparse? Sure! But these recycled subway cars are sure to inspire other green-minded, socially conscious artistic efforts.

(more…)

2008-11-28T17:06:00.001-05:00

Winery Launches Solar Industrys First Floating Solar Farm

By Jaymi Heimbuch

Wineries are a booming industry and the significance of their environmental impact is undeniable. Thankfully, sustainability in wine making is a movement growing as rapidly as the industry. Far Niente is one winery that has taken innovating for sustainability to heart and has literally launched a new form of solar technology.

Called a Floatovoltaic, the floating solar farm is comprised of solar panels hooked to pontoons made of plastic irrigation piping and set out to float on the winery’s irrigation pond. The system was designed and installed by SPG Solar, Inc. with technology developed by Thompson Technology Industries, Inc.

While testing for floating solar islands is in the works, Far Niente’s fleet of nearly 1,000 panels is the first floating solar farm in the solar industry and certainly in the wine industry. In combination with nearby land-based solar panels, the floating panels will produce all the energy the winery needs annually. Though creative, the technology is still expensive – despite the net-zero energy bill, it will still take about 12 years for the Floatovoltaic to offset the $7 million invested in creating and installing it.

The innovation was driven by the need to conserve valuable land space for vines. Instead of ripping out nearly an acre of Cabernet vines and losing $150,000 in wine production annually, Far Niente utilized the essentially empty space of their irrigation pond. Seeing this winery balance business savvy with sustainability and resourcefulness can go a long way in getting other businesses on the eco-wagon. This intelligent and practical use of space will hopefully entice more businesses and individuals to crank up their imaginations and invest in alternative energy like solar power.

via: News.com, FarNiente.com

2008-11-28T17:04:00.000-05:00

Southeast Power Companies Test Smart Charging

By Megan Treacy

The Southeast hasn't appeared is as many renewable energy headlines as other parts of the country, but the region will be the first to test smart charging of plug-in hybrid vehicles among multiple utility companies.

Duke Energy and Progress Energy have teamed up with V2Green for the trial that will assess the potential of using the grid to power plug-in vehicles. Non-profit Advanced Energy will oversee the trial that will use 12 converted Toyota Priuses.

Each Prius will have a V2Green Connectivity Module installed that allows communication between the car and the grid, allowing the needs of both to be met. The software will make use of solar or wind power when available and during peak hours, will delay or slow charging.
The companies hope that the trial, which will deploy vehicles in North Carolina and Florida, will lead to better infrastructure, enabling widespread use of electric vehicles.

The need for better charging solutions for electric cars has made headlines recently and stands to hinder the progress being made in the auto industry. This trial could work out some of the problems and serve as an example for the rest of the country.

via: Earth2Tech

2008-11-28T09:57:00.002-05:00

The Best Ecolodges on the Planet According to National Geographic

In wildlife

Photo credit: Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa

The Global Travel Editor at National Geographic Adventure has put together a handy list and a nice graphic of the 50 Best Ecolodges in the world, color-coded according to ecosystem. The hotels were chosen because they support local communities, offer authentic cultural experiences, maintain strong conservation initiatives, and increasingly emphasize adventure at the center of the experience. If you fancy jungles, you can pour over spectacular options in India, Ecuador, Bolivia and Laos, to name a few locales. We were particularly intrigued by the Banjaar Tola lodge in India dedicated to tiger conservation, overlooking the tall sal-and-bamboo forests of Kanha National Park. (more)

2008-11-28T09:53:00.002-05:00

PREFAB FRIDAY: The KitHAUS K4 Green Home

By Bridgette Steffen on: Sustainable Building

KitHAUS modular homes have a breezy backyard feel to them– perfect as a guest house or studio in a lush area of your yard. We’ve covered KitHAUS modular homes before on Inhabitat: here and here. Early models such as the K1 and K2 were aluminum-clad with high ceilings and tall windows. However, the latest KitHaus models, K3 and K4, have beautiful wooden louvers and a bit of a smaller footprint. With an updated look and new add-on options from the K4, a couple in Williamsburg, Brooklyn was able to create a lush atmosphere by simply adding some decking and potted plants.

(more…)

2008-11-28T09:46:00.002-05:00

IS IT GREEN?: The Laundry Ball

By Adrianne Jeffries on: Green Products

The GreenWashBall is a device that you toss into the washing machine to clean your dirty laundry in place of detergent. An innovative concept, but not the first of its kind - “laundry balls” like the GreenWashBall are abundant, including the Miracle II Ball, the Laundry Solution ball, and the Mystic Wonder Laundry Ball. They are supposedly popular in Europe and the laundry ball industry is hoping to gain popularity in the U.S. Completely cutting the use of detergent is enticing from both ecological and economic standpoints, but how exactly does the GreenWashBall work, and can it up to its claims?

(more…)

2008-11-28T09:45:00.001-05:00

Portable Solar Power Device

By Megan Treacy

Instead of keeping a drawer full of batteries in case of a power outage, how about a portable solar power unit? Solar power system manufacturer Solzar has introduced the MSolar, a small system perfect for those emergency situations.

The MSolar device looks like a metal briefcase that is wired with solar panels and includes electronic accessories and batteries. The device comes in three sizes, 20W, 50W and 100W, selling for $646, $1,292 and $2,452 respectively. All three have a battery voltage of 12V and take 10 hours to charge.

Other than emergency power uses, the MSolar can be used recreationally and for temporary lighting. It's currently on sale at the Amazon Webstore. For those of use still saving up for that home solar PV unit, this could be a less expensive stepping stone.

via Treehugger

2008-11-28T09:40:00.000-05:00

Canada's Largest Wind Farm Opens

By Megan Treacy

Canada's Melancthon EcoPower Centre opened on October 30 after three years of construction. The country's largest wind farm is located near Shelburne, Ontario and has a capacity of 199.5 MW.

The developer of the project, Canadian Hydro, expects the 133-turbine farm to have an annual output of 545 GWh, enough to power 70,000 homes. All of that electricity will be sold to the Ontario Power Authority.

The EcoPower Centre is just one of three Ontario-based wind projects to go online within the next two months. Alberta and Quebec also have smaller wind farms and ongoing projects. By the end of the year, all three areas combined will be producing 1,917 MW of wind power.

Canada plans to shut down all coal power plants by 2014 and will be relying on wind and solar power to step in as renewable energy sources. Projects like the EcoPower Centre may seem less significant when looked at individually, but as part of a large national movement towards clean energy, they're very important.

via Treehugger

2008-10-31T12:56:00.001-04:00

Ploggs Track Power Usage, Let You Know Wirelessly

By Peg Fong

Wouldn't it be great if there were a simple device that could track your electricity usage, control when your appliances turned on and off, and connected to your computer or mobile device wirelessly? Well, it turns out it does exist...just only in Europe (so far.)

The Plogg is a plug-in device that monitors and logs data, hence the name. The information the Plogg records can be read via your phone, laptop or Blackberry, anything with integrated Bluetooth. This way the Plogg can record and display your electricity usage with an absolute minimum of parts (and thus at minimum cost.)

The idea behind the Plogg, which is made by Energy Optimizers Ltd. is that the data gathered on your mobile device for viewing and storage may encourage consumers to recognize when energy is unnecessary or wasteful.

The device also has a remote switching mechanism that allows all connected appliances to the Plogg be turned off/on instantly or automatically using timers controlled by the host computer or mobile device.

The Plogg costs £55 and the company is studying whether to make the plugs for the U.S. marketplace.

via: Smart Meters

2008-10-31T12:55:00.000-04:00

Miniature, Super-Sensitive Greenhouse Gas Sensor Being Developed

By Megan Treacy

A new miniature greenhouse gas sensor called MINIGAS is being developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The super-sensor will be less than an inch long, twice as sensitive as current sensors and cheaper too.

In fact, the European Union has such high hopes for this sensor, they've invested $3.6 million in the project and created a consortium or European companies and research organizations to aid in its development.

In addition to greenhouse gases, the sensor will be able to detect explosive vapors and chemical agents like nerve gas, making it useful for governments in homeland security systems. Environmentally conscious consumers will also be able benefit from the sensor since cost effectiveness is a high priority.

No word yet on a timeline for the sensor's release, but it's encouraging to know that European governments will be the first in line to use it.

via CleanTechnica

2008-10-31T12:51:00.003-04:00

Gadgets to Make Us Smarter Drivers

By Megan Treacy

They say knowledge is power, but in this case, it's greater fuel efficiency. Ford has announced they will be installing SmartGauge with EcoGuide instruments in the Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, coming in 2010.

The instrument provides real-time information on the hybrids' fuel economy and allows drivers to select what level of detail they want displayed. These levels are:

Inform: Fuel level and battery charge status

Enlighten: Adds electric vehicle mode indicator and tachometer

Engage: Adds engine output power and battery output power

Empower: Adds power to wheels, engine pull-up threshold and accessory power consumption

Long-term fuel efficiency is displayed as either a chart or as growing leaves and vines with the leaves and vines becoming thicker as efficiency increases. The gauge also compares current fuel economy with previous trips allowing drivers to make adjustments based on the feedback. (more)

via:ecogeek

2008-10-30T18:17:00.003-04:00

Schwimmhaus Modern Green Houseboat

By Preston Koerner

I've seen houseboats -- boats designed or modified to be used primarily as permanent dwellings -- in Portland, Oregon and always wondered what it'd be like to live in one. I could certainly live in something like this, what with the green roof and modern aesthetic. It's called the Schwimmhaus and was designed by confused-direction in Germany. Don't be fooled by the images, though, because this is just a model. The real version should be finished in Spring 2009. At a size of 14 m long, 4 m tall, and 3 m wide, Schwimmhaus will feature a spacious living room, kitchen, bathroom, and loft bedroom. It'll also be eco-friendly, too, with features such as the living roof and wood reclaimed from an old farm barn. (more picture)

via:jetsongreen

2008-10-30T18:12:00.003-04:00

Container Art Ambles Around the World, Filling Beauty Wherever They Stop

In Shipping Container/Recycling

Its is so logical. There are a lot of surplus containers in the world; Moving art exhibitions is expensive. So why not put the art in shipping containers, with their own efficient transport infrastructure, and move them around the world. It is "An urban, itinerant and adaptive art exhibit. Installations, sculptures, and paintings of the most innovative talents of the local and global artscape in many containers spread around town. A different work of contemporary art in each container, a different mix of artists in each city. Interactive containers connecting communities far away through art."

via ::Wooster Collective

2008-10-30T18:03:00.006-04:00

West Coast Green 2008: The H2OG Rainwater Storage System

Daniel Flahiff: on Water

Every once in a while we come across an idea so fresh and simple it seems incredible that it has not been thought of before. The Rainwaterhog is just such an idea - the H2OG system is a modular rainwater harvesting system that is a ‘game-changer’ in the water harvesting and storage industry. The easy-to-install system “boldly fits where no water storage has fit before” and is expandable, reusable, and 100% recyclable.

Rainwater harvesting is hardly new. Time-honored methods have been in existence for decades - they usually feature an elaborate system of screens, gutters and drains that are designed to divert rainwater to a large central basin or cistern—above or below ground—after which a pump or series of pumps relocates the precious water to locations around the property. This traditional system can be complex, costly and far from easy to create.(more…)

via:inhabitat

2008-10-30T17:54:00.001-04:00

No Recession for Bicycle Makers

In transportation

Cars Down, Bikes Up While high oil prices and an economic recession are hitting carmakers hard, bicycle makers are selling more than ever. "Giant Manufacturing, the world’s largest bicycle-maker, sold a record 460,000 units last month and is heading for its best year ever." Demand is so high in certain places that there are even shortages. For example, it happened it New York City earlier this year, and in Taiwan, people pay deposits before the bikes are even off the assembly line. (more)

via:treehugger

2008-10-30T17:47:00.003-04:00

High-Tech itHouse Prefab by Taalman Koch

By Bridgette Steffen on: Sustainable Building

We’ve been following LA-based Taalman Koch Architects and their development of a systematized method for building sustainable prefab houses for the past few years. Now, a completed itHouse has landed outside of Joshua Tree National Park in what is going to become a new planned community called Three Junipers. If you have been reading along with us, you would know that the house is off-grid and powered solely by photovoltaic and solar thermal technology. Not to mention, the modest home makes minimal disturbance to its site, has a small footprint (1,600 sq ft), and uses native plants in its landscaping. This high-desert version of the itHouse adds to their previous work with more efficient energy systems, and new furniture and accessories.

(more…)

2008-10-30T17:17:00.002-04:00

Water Your Lawn With Your ahem Waste

By Hank Green

I've been to a fair share of parties where some folks don't make it from the back yard to the bathroom, but that certainly isn't the ideal method of lawn care. In general, we humans ship our wastewater off to treatment plants, a land and energy intensive process. And to make it all worse, a great deal of America's vital drinking water gets poured onto its lawns...about 15,000 gallons PER HOME!

But what if we could close the loop. What if our wastewater could be processed on-site and then pumped back out to make our gardens grow? Whether it sounds disgusting or exciting to you is, I suppose, a matter of perspective. But it looks like it's right on the horizon.

Biokube, a Danish company, is bringing the BioKube Venus to America. The Venus is a septic tank advanced enough that it can make your waste water clean enough for use in agriculture (i.e. watering your lawn.) The device would produce more than the 15,000 gallons used by most households. The excess would just be released into groundwater like current septic systems. But, I suppose you'd want to limit the amount of frolicking in the sprinklers your kids were doing.

So-called gray water has been used for irrigation for a long time. Simply pumping processed waste-water to nearby land for irrigation is a great way to prevent drinking water being dumped on lawns across the world. But those systems require laying twice as much pipe for water delivery...one for clean water, and one for gray water. (more)

via:ecogeek

2008-10-28T12:54:00.003-04:00

The WaterMill Produces Fresh Drinking Water out of Thin Air

Daniel Flahiff on: Watermill/Purifier

What if we could, like mythical alchemists, change stone into gold; or like Superman, make coal into diamonds by squeezing it with our bare hands? In possession of such powers might we choose to create something that could make the world a better place? Element Four seems to have answered this not-so-hypothetical question with a resounding “yes” with the WaterMill, a water purification and filtration system that creates “fresh, potable water from an unlimited source: the air.” (more…)

via:inhabita t

2008-10-28T12:41:00.001-04:00

All-Electric MINI Coopers Available in 2009

By Hank Green

You can get an electric MINI Cooper right now, but you're not gonna get it from MINI. Hybrid Technologies has had one available (for only $65k) for over a year. But now BMW will be making their own (significantly more impressive) electric MINI Coper E, hopefully for a bit less cash.

The car will deliver impressive acceleration, a 150 mile range and a regenerative braking system keeps the battery charged for longer in city driving. The only real reason why it's not as nice as a regular is that the backseat (small to begin with ) is now completely gone. In order to make room for enough battery to get the car a 150 mile range, MINI's engineers had to take out the back seat.

Every lessee will get a fast-charging station installed in their home that ups the voltage so the car can be charged in less than three hours. A standard plug will take all night to charge the car.

The real bad news is that only 500 will be sold in America next year. They'll only be leased in California, New York and New Jersey. And there's no word on whether MINI will look to expand the program beyond 2010.

via:AutoBlog

2008-10-28T12:33:00.004-04:00

Showerdrop times your shower, saves water and cash

The company that greened your tea drinking with the Eco Kettle has turned its attention to wasted water. Product Creation's new ECO Showerdrop is a gadget that times your shower and beeps when you've lathered and scrubbed for the optimum length of time. Is it the height of eco facism or a cool water-saving gadget? Let's see.

Its makers point to a recent survey that found the average showeree uses 64 litres of water, around double the level recommended by water conservation non-profit Waterwise. The clever thing about the Showerdrop -- unlike the Shower Coach we covered last year -- is that you can calibrate it to test exactly how many litres of water your shower uses. (more)

via:smartplanet

2008-10-28T12:19:00.002-04:00

Eco Gadgets: Apple’s new MacBook is the greenest ever

By Jolly on: Environment

Eco Factor: New MacBook is more energy efficient and recyclable.

Apple has introduced a new MacBook that the company is claiming to be the greenest MacBook ever launched by the company. This new laptop consumes less that an quarter of the of a single light bulb when it’s running.

The notebook that comes with a 13-inch display, and says no to chemicals like PVC, mercury, arsenic and brominated flame retardants. The display here uses LED backlit technology which makes it energy efficient when compared to traditional LCD screens. The notebook includes lesser number of parts that make it easy to assemble and recycle.

There is also a 41% reduction in the total packing materials, which have been made from recycled materials. The computer also makes use of some technological changes which enable it to work efficiently without gulping much electricity.

The Dark Side:

Selling for $1,299, this machine has nothing much in it apart from an “Eco Tag,” which can attract customers with high performance demand. This notebook is, however, ideal for eco-minded net surfers.

via:River Wired

2008-10-28T12:11:00.002-04:00

New Energy Economy Emerging in the United States

Lester R Brown on: Wind

As fossil fuel prices rise, as oil insecurity deepens, and as concerns about climate change cast a shadow over the future of coal, a new energy economy is emerging in the United States. The old energy economy, fueled by oil, coal, and natural gas, is being replaced by one powered by wind, solar, and geothermal energy. The transition is moving at a pace and on a scale that we could not have imagined even a year ago.

Consider Texas. Long the leading oil-producing state, it is now also the leading generator of electricity from wind, having overtaken California two years ago. Texas now has nearly 6,000 megawatts of wind-generating capacity online and a staggering 39,000 megawatts in the construction and planning stages. When all this is completed, Texas will have 45,000 megawatts of wind-generating capacity (think 45 coal-fired power plants). This will more than satisfy the residential needs of the state’s 24 million people, enabling Texas to feed electricity to nearby states such as Louisiana and Mississippi. (more)

via:sustainablog

2008-10-14T17:12:00.000-04:00

Tubular Solar Panels Slash Costs, Boost Efficiency

By Hank Green

There are a lot of reasons to think that flat solar panels would be the right way to go. The best way to capture sunlight is by being perpendicular to the sun and it's usually cheaper to make things flat than round. But the folks at Solyndra have discovered that this traditional wisdom might be a bit faulty.

First, as to the second point, when dealing with thin-film CIGS solar panels, cylindrical is just as good as flat. But the first point, concerning harvesting the maximum amount of sunlight, gets a little confusing.

The cylindrical solar panels (think of fluorescent tube lights...except in reverse) can absorb energy from every direction, and when combined with a white roof (which are now the only legal, flat roofs in California) can capture up to 20% more light than traditional solar panels. The other gigantic advantage is that they don't have to move to track the sun. The panels are always presenting some of their face directly perpendicular to the sun.

By removing solar-tracking and orientation from the equation, these systems can simply be laid onto roofs. Tracking solar panels have to be able to resist the force of strong winds, these will just lay flat and out of the way reducing installation costs, which often comprise about half of the price of a solar project.

And with 30 billion square feet of flat roofs in America, this could be quite a market for cheap, clean electricity. Solyndra just announced, in fact, that they've got $1.2 B in contracts throughout Europe and America, and I can't imagine that going anywhere but up.

Full press release from Solyndra below

via: Scientific American

2008-09-30T22:18:00.001-04:00

Norwegian Wind Power Could Become Europe's Battery

Treehugger on: Wind Power

Norway and Wind Power, Sitting in a Tree... What's the best thing you could buy with oil money right now? Norway's Oil and Energy Minister, Aaslaug Haga, seems to think that wind turbines is a good bet. The scandinavian country is the 5th biggest exporter of oil in the world, but it also has the longest coastline in Europe and lots of strong wind. A 30-page report vy the Energy Council, comprising business leaders and officials, says: "Norway ought to have access to up to 40 terrawatt hours of renewable energy in 2020-2025, of which about half would come from offshore wind power."...

(more)

2008-09-30T17:38:00.001-04:00

Rainwater Collection Gaining Huge Mainstream Momentum

By Preston D K on: water

There's kind of an edgy, underground movement of conscious homeowners and environmentalists that are finding creative ways to capture water and reuse it for their needs. BusinessWeek's Malia Wollan just wrote an article called "Rainwater collectors work to ease shortages," and she talks about the popularity of the movement. In the article, Wollan mentions a website called HarvestH20, which has seen an increasing number of visitors seeking information and advice on rainwater collection and reclamation.

A rainwater harvesting system in its simplest form will comprise a collection system and holding tank with plumbing in between. But systems range from the simple to the complex with water being used in a variety of ways, including as supplemental irrigation or household use. You might even consider using a system to water your home garden, as is shown in the image above. (more)

via:jetsongreen

2008-09-30T17:32:00.002-04:00

Air Breeze: A Teeny Tiny Turbine for Off-Grid Power

In wind power

Southwest Windpower has rolled out a new, small wind turbine to help out generating renewable energy on a small, more personal scale. The Air Breeze, successor to Air-X, is for off-grid locations such as ships, rural cabins and even RVs. It sounds like a great invention, but with most small-scale wind turbines, we have to wonder where's the catch.

Two of the issues with small scale wind power are noise and efficiency at lower air speeds. Several companies have been working on this issue, from The Energy Ball to noise-negating devices for turbines.

The Air Breeze is touted as quieter than comparable turbines, and can provide power at speeds as low as 6 mph. When the wind kicks up, the Air Breeze can generate 200 watts at 28 mph wind speeds. Not too bad for energy generation. (more)

via:treehugger