Solar powered personal gizmos
Dec 31, 2008 Green Technologies
Energizer
Last few weeks has seen many solar powered personal gadgets and the likes being unveiled. Here is a lowdown.
Energizer showed off its Rechargeable Solar Charger. The device will boast a USB port to power an assortment of devices, and it can also be charged from an AC outlet if you just can’t seem to locate the sun. Better still, its weatherproof nature should make it suitable for Robinson Crusoes, and it’ll only run $49.99 with a pair of rechargeable cells when it lands next summer in US. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Energizer, gadgets, Nextar, Solar Arcadia, Solar Energy
Air New Zealand tests jatropha as fuel
Dec 31, 2008 Green Technologies, Information of the Day
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand successfully undertook its first biofuel powered flight yesterday, joining Virgin Airlines in exploring newer alternatives for Aviation Turbine Fuel.
During a two-hour flight to and from Auckland International Airport, the Air New Zealand crew sought to test how the fuel, made from jatropha plants and blended 50:50 with Jet A1 fuel in the tank of one of four Rolls-Royce engines on a 747-400, stood up to use at high altitudes and in other demanding conditions.
Air New Zealand had Boeing and a subsidiary of Honewell as partners in the test flight. While there has been a lot of debate on whether biofuel really cut down emissions or whether they cause food crisis, jatropha is seen as promising because it can grow under hostile climate and lands unsuitable for foodcrop production.
Watch a video of the people behind this attempt after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Air New Zealand, biofuel, Boeing, Jatropha
Some sporty and wacky alternatives to the Tesla Roadster
Dec 31, 2008 Auto Tech
Much before Tesla went to town with claims of faster acceleration than a Porsche 911, we already had the fully electric Eliica shaming many a supercar. Don’t believe us? See the video after the jump.
First conceived in 2003, by Dr. Hiroshi Shimizu, the 8-wheeled Eliicas have a 230 mph (370 km/h) top speed. Each of the eight wheels is driven by a 60kW (80 hp) electric motor. they have lithium ion batteries and have a working range of 200 miles (320 km). Two were built for an estimated $320,000.
Interest in Dr. Shimizu’s efforts apparently has been recently rekindled as the government of Japan recognizes the importance of electric vehicles. Dr. Shimizu would like to receive corporate sponsorship to build 200 of the four-passenger vehicles, each for an estimated price of 30 million Yen or approximately $255,000.
The goal of the Keio University team led by Dr. Shimizu is to set the world speed record of 400 km/h (250 mph). Read the rest of this entry »
Japan gets innovative cycle parking
Dec 30, 2008 Green Technologies
Eco-cycle
Japanese construction company, Giken, has introduced Eco-Cycle, a multi tiered storage facility for (what else?) cycles. Capable of keeping 144 cycles at a time in a rotating system and promising retrieval within minutes, this will be a big help for commuters who keep their bikes at train stations. This will reduce the storage space required at the stations compared to traditional bike racks.
Here is a video of the thing working, after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »
Iran inaugurates solar power plant
Dec 29, 2008 Green Technologies
Iran has inaugurated a pilot solar energy plant in Shiraz, which it claims to have set up using indigenous technology . The power plant has parabolic mirrors to direct solar radiation into its solar receivers, which presumably is used to heat a fluid to set up convection and drive turbines.
Anything that provides Iranians with power production options and help reduce their excuses for nuclear technology is certainly welcome. Some of you may wonder about Iran, with its huge gas and oil reserves investing in alternative energy, but those of you who remember last’s years riots in Tehran over fuel scarcity may be less surprised. Iran has vast reserves, but lack the refining capacity.
UAE, another country awash in oil wealth is also making selective investments in green technology.
Tags: Iran, Solar Energy
Nicaragua set to get a 40MW wind farm next month
Dec 29, 2008 Green Technologies, Information of the Day
Windy days
Nicaragua is close to making operational a $90 million wind farm project by the end of January, that will contribute 6 percent of the country’s total energy needs. India’s Suzlon Energy has installed windmills near Lake Nicaragua.
This is part of Nicaragua’s efforts to reduce its dependence on oil-based energy to just 3 percent by 2013. The country has also turned to geothermal power from volcanoes, hydroelectric power generated by rivers and sugarcane based ethanol. Those sources provide 34 percent of Nicaragua’s energy.
It is encouraging to see that developing countries are embracing green initiatives on their own. Nicaragua’s case is even more special when you consider the fact that it gets majority of its oil from Venezuela, mostly at a discount. Renewable energy is not about cutting emission anymore, but being energy self-dependant and thus being less exposed to the vagaries of geopolitical ( like the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline caught in the rut) and other situations. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Nicaragua, Suzlon, wind energy, Wind farm
Fox News launches green themed website
Dec 29, 2008 Information of the Day
US cable television channel Fox News has started a green themed website. The site still seems pretty basic till now, even the commenting system is closed, but atleast it’s a start from the Rupert Murdoch owned media company. Give it a spin if you like and let us know what you think!
New York Times had also started something similar few months back.
Tags: Fox News, New York Times
John Lennon lends his voice to the OLPC
Dec 29, 2008 Education/Literacy, Social Initiatives
One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project has been aggressively pushing its product for Christmas shopping this year, but now they have bagged a big one! With the assistance of technology and the consent of Yoko Ono (not in that order maybe), John Lennon of the The Beatles has returned in a new OLPC spot. In the ad, the late musician proclaims: “Imagine every child no matter where in the world they were could access a universe of knowledge. They would have a chance to learn, to dream, to achieve anything they want.”
Yoko Ono has been pretty selective about granting rights to using any Lennon imagery till now. It is great that she got convinced about the good cause that is the OLPC project. The legendary Beatle’s fame will undoubtedly generate buzz and many more people will perhaps visit the site, but it remains to be seen how many actually go and buy the Gift 1 Get 1 scheme of the OLPC in these bad times.
If this still does not inspire you to get your donation on, watcg another advertisement that may finally manage to pull at your heartstrings hard enough.
Tags: John Lennon, OLPC
Low gas prices lead to surge in SUV demand
Dec 27, 2008 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Ford F-150
“Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me”, may go an old adage, but car buyers in US don’t seem to have learnt! Automotive website Edmunds.com is reporting that truck and SUV sales will surpass car sales in December in US. That’s something that hasn’t happened since February 2008. Additionally, hybrid sales are expected to dramatically plunge for December.
Gasoline prices in US prices have fallen below $2 a gallon, from the highs of over $4 few months back and many people are rushing out to buy the big cars and SUVs, forgetting that gas prices may again spiral up, due to a variety of reasons. But few of them seem to have made the decision seeing the inclement weather (SUVs/4-wheel drives will be safer in snow), while others may have been seduced by the huge discounts currently on SUVs (upto $5000 in some cases!).
On the flip side, the sales of fuel efficient smaller cars have declined. While earlier in the year, there was a waiting list for the hybrid Toyota Prius, In November alone, falling gas prices caused a 48 percent drop in sales, and things won’t be too cheerful in December. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Auto sales, Edmunds, US
India to get its first hydrogen fuel pump
Dec 26, 2008 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Indian Oil
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country’s largest oil marketing company by sales, will open India’s first hydrogen fuel-dispensing station in New Delhi next month. The fuel pump will cost Rs 5 crore to setup, with funding from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The hydrogen fuel pump will dispense a mix of hydrogen and CNG roughly in the ratio 20:80 to a group of test vehicles comprising three-wheelers and passenger vehicles, which already run on CNG. The mixture will allow the vehicles to run with minor modifications.
According to a Business Standard report, General Motors India has confirmed that Equinox, its hydrogen-powered fuel cell car — has been sounded out by IOC as a possible test vehicle in India in the coming months. But fuel cell vehicles, like the Honda FCX Clarity, available now in US, require pure hydrogen to run. BMW has tested with using hydrogen in conventional internal combustion engines.
Although hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, it rarely occurs in free elemental form and requires huge energy to obtain from sources like water. If the energy required for electrolysis comes from conventional sources. environmental benefits will be less. Hydrogen is also expensive to store and transport, as it has to be stored in highly compressed/liquid form and is potentially explosive. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: CNG, Hydrogen, India, Indian Oil