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 »
Japanese shipping giants test ships partly powered by solar cells
Dec 20, 2008 Green Technologies
Japanese shipping giant Nippon Yusen K.K. and oil distributor Nippon Oil Corp. today launched the first-ever cargo ship with a propulsion system powered, in part, by solar energy. The freighter, which left a port in Kobe carrying vehicles by Toyota, sports $1.68 million worth of solar panels — enough to provide only 0.2 percent of the energy needed for propulsion, according to Yahoo News reports.
Even that small percentage represents a significant first step for the shipping industry, which accounts for 1.4-4.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
But this is not the shipping industry’s first efforts to reduce fuel consumption. Only this year, they tested the SkySails system, a huge computer-controlled kite that can tow cargo vessels and superyachts, reducing their fuel consumption by up to 30%. The technology is different than traditional sailing systems because the sail area and the ship are separated by a towing rope. According to them, this result in higher power, easier deployment and higher safety than traditional sails. See a video of the system after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Electricity from commuter steps in Japan
Dec 12, 2008 Green Technologies
East Japan Railway Company recently decided to update their Tokyo Station with a revolutionary new piezoelectric energy generating floor. The system will harvest the kinetic energy generated by crowds to power ticket gates and display systems!
The total amount of floor-space will add up to around 25 square meters, and they expect to obtain over 1,400 Kwh per day. But don’t think that the energy is coming out of thin air. The people walking on the floor are having to make just a little bit more effort while walking, small enough not even to notice and this energy in being converted to electrical energy. The vast number of people passing the place everyday is what is making the cumulative energy significant.
Such systems could be a harmless but useful addition to dance floors and tourist places if the technology can be commercialized and made cost effective. Check an image after the jump! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Japan
Better Place to test its car battery swapping technology in Japan
Dec 11, 2008 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Better Place
Just about a week after unveiling plans to rol out electric car charging network in Hawaii, US, California based startup Better Place scored another touchdown when announcing late yesterday that it’s joining a government pilot project in Japan to test electric vehicle infrastructure in the country.
Over in Israel, where Better Place has its main research and development center, the company also unveiled its first charging station, plugging in an electric car at a movie theater parking lot (see photo). The charging stations are expected to be deployed throughout Israel, as well as in Denmark, Australia, California and Hawaii. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Better Place, Japan
Kyocera unveils large scale solar cell manufacturing plans
Nov 18, 2008 Green Technologies, Natural Resource Conservation
Kyocera
Japanese electronics maker Kyocera announced its plans to expand its solar cell production, with plans of building a new large-scale solar cell manufacturing facility in Yasu City, its largest manufacturing plant in Japan. The new site will more than double its annual production of solar cells to 650 megawatts (MW) by March 2012, up from a projected output of 300 MW this year. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Japan, Kyocera, Manufacturing, Solar cells