tagged w/ Energy Efficiency
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Winter is coming quickly and if you are looking to save money on bills and help the environment take a look at the new products available to save on heating/cooling, water and energy consumption. They are a great way to help you take control of your expenses. There are a huge array of easy to use products that can take a serious bite out of your energy and water bills.
Some of the cheapest, easiest and fastest improvements:
1. Turn down your water heater temperature.
2. Weatherize doors and windows.
3. Put in water saving features on your bathroom/kitchen fixtures.
4. Check your attic insulation – you should have R-30 in the NW or 5 inches of blown insulation.
5. Use crack sealer for any gaps between pipes and the walls.
6. Buy a digital thermostat for heating/cooling.
7. Change all light bulbs to the new low energy long-lasting fluorescent.
http://bit.ly/2xRECPWinter is coming quickly and if you are looking to save money on bills and help the... more
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As the technology required to create a physical link between Earth and outer space becomes closer to a reality, discussions of next-generation space exploration have been given new life.
Japan announced recently that it was researching plans to build a space elevator – a link to space that could transport cargo and even tourists – for as little as 1 trillion yen ($11 billion).
"Just like travelling abroad, anyone will be able to ride the elevator into space," chairman of the Japan Space Elevator Association, Shuichi Ono, told The Times.
The news is believed to have shaken up scientists at NASA, who have traditionally focused on rockets to reach space but could now be considering following Japan's suit.
Australia too may play a part in the creation of a space elevator, with a region off the west coast identified as ideal for an Earth dock – the structure that would anchor the link.
Unlike some science-fiction depictions of a giant tower or elevator reaching into the stars, modern plans for a space elevator rely on a cable being stretched between a satellite and a platform on Earth along which vehicles could travel.
One location being considered by NASA for such a platform is off the coast of Perth, according to the West Australian co-author of the book Leaving The Earth By Space Elevator, Philip Ragan.
Mr Ragan, who wrote the book with former NASA scientist and space elevator expert Dr Bradley C. Edwards, said there were 12 criteria that had to be met when choosing a possible location for the Earth port including consideration of storms and lightning.
"We identified that the Indian Ocean, about 500km off of Perth, was a prime location to site the Earth end of the cable," Mr Ragan said.
"A second preferred location is about 2000 miles (3218km) south of Hawaii... (which would be) closer for Americans in air time but logistically more remote for servicing by shipping."
An Australian Senate report released last week backed up Mr Ragan's claims and said the West Australian oil industry's expertise in building offshore platforms could prove useful if the plans went ahead.
"The Indian Ocean off Western Australia has been identified as an ideal location for a space elevator – a thin carbon nanotube connecting a barge to a space station, along which supplies could be carried up," said the report.
Professor Lachlan Thompson, from RMIT's School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, said Australia would also be an ideal partner for space agencies because its land mass was not divided into different nations.
"Australia is an ideal place for suborbital and orbital tourism due to it being a large land mass not divided by countries," he said.
[Click on link above to read the rest of the article]As the technology required to create a physical link between Earth and outer space... more
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In the hunt for alternatives to polluting and climate-warming fossil fuels, attention has turned to where rivers meet the sea. Here, freshwater and saltwater naturally settle their salinity difference, a phenomenon that two pioneering projects in Europe will try to harness to generate clean energy.In the hunt for alternatives to polluting and climate-warming fossil fuels, attention... more
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Xeros Ltd’s new washing machine could change the way you clean clothing. Their prototype system uses nylon beads, less detergent and 90% less water than traditional machines to tumble wash clothes. The machine also eliminates the need for tumble drying. Xeros claims that if all U.S. homes switched to their system, the carbon offset would be the equivalent of removing 5 million cars from roads and would save 1.2 billion tons of water each year.Xeros Ltd’s new washing machine could change the way you clean clothing. Their... more
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It's clear that China is taking on renewable energy projects at a fast pace. The country has doubled its installed wind power every year for the past five years and a new study shows the country should keep it up. Researchers from Harvard and Beijing Tsinghua University have found that China could meet all of their electricity demands from wind power through 2030.
The scientists came up with meteorological and financial forecasts that show that China can run on wind alone. They mapped the wind potential for different regions and then assumed that each had a smattering of 1.5 MW turbines. They excluded metro areas or unusable terrain. Once they calculated how much energy each area could generate, they then came up with the cost of the energy.
They discovered that many areas, especially northern and western parts of the country, could generate energy at about 6 - 8 cents/kWh. This meant 6.96 trillion kWh could be generated annually at a profit, which is twice the current energy demand and close to what the demand is expected to be in 2030.
If China chose this route instead of adding more coal, it could prevent 3.5 billion tons of CO2 from being emitted.
Since China is already installing wind at a rapid pace, the researchers think it's entirely possible that they could make these projections a reality. The major hurdle for the country would be upgrading and expanding their transmission system to handle new wind farms.
While a world powered by renewable energy is still a long ways off, it's really promising to hear of studies like these that show that it's definitely accomplishable.It's clear that China is taking on renewable energy projects at a fast pace. The... more
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2 months ago
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Energy Star and Green guru Danny Seo have teamed up and developed a website to help people reduce their office’s energy bill while creating a more environmentally friendly workspace. The site hopes to educate office workers about the environmental impact their day to day job functions have on the environment and how they can offset some of that footprint by making their office building and co-workers more energy efficient.Energy Star and Green guru Danny Seo have teamed up and developed a website to help... more
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What if you could simply recharge your dead or dying batteries with minimal effort and no extra cost? Designers are working towards harnessing the kinetic energy dispelled during our day to day activities to create electrical charges.One such idea involves kinetic orbs harnessing the power of your laundry cycles to create an electric charge suitable for other applications.What if you could simply recharge your dead or dying batteries with minimal effort and... more
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"California really represents what the rest of the country could do if it paid a bit more attention to energy efficiency," says Greg Kats, managing principal at Capital E, an energy and clean-technology advisory firm. "California is the best argument we have about how to very cost-effectively both reduce energy consumption and cut greenhouse gases. And they've made money doing it." Kats estimates that the average Californian family spends about $800 a year less on energy than it would have without efficiency improvements over the past 20 years.
California is always ahead of the curve. I wish our state could break off from the US and start it's own country. But that's never going to happen so please everyone watch what California is doing and follow our lead."California really represents what the rest of the country could do if it paid a bit... more
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More than half the U.S. population is packed into three dozen well-lit metro areas, each one home to at least a million power-hungry people. Surely Americans could save money and energy by living somewhere simpler. Right?
You'd think so, especially looking at nighttime satellite photos that show dark landscapes illuminated by glowing urban dots. On the surface, these seem like clear evidence of city dwellers' oversized energy footprints.More than half the U.S. population is packed into three dozen well-lit metro areas,... more
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Coming this fall, a clunkers-type program to boost sales of energy-efficient home appliances will authorize rebates of $50 to $200
A $300 million cash-for-clunkers-type federal program to boost sales of energy-efficient home appliances provides a glimmer of hope for beleaguered makers of washing machines and dishwashers, but it's probably not enough to lift companies such as Whirlpool (WHR) and Electrolux out of the worst down cycle in the sector's history.Coming this fall, a clunkers-type program to boost sales of energy-efficient home... more
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You may have already heard about the Living Zero Home Tour, which is a traveling and interactive exhibit featuring ENERGY STAR products, eco-friendly construction methods, and innovative technologies that drastically reduce energy consumption—while at the same time saving on energy billsYou may have already heard about the Living Zero Home Tour, which is a traveling and... more
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In a typical home, 43% of the utility bill goes toward heating and cooling. This site provides consumers with free and inexpensive strategies for saving energy and money through the warm spring and summer months, as well as energy-saving investments that can provide savings over the long term. You'll also find information on financial assistance for energy-saving improvements.In a typical home, 43% of the utility bill goes toward heating and cooling. This site... more
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Setting the stage for the Winter Olympic Games to be held in the city of Sochi in 2014, Russian architecture studio A.Asadov has designed an emblematic architecture comprising five circular islands, each featuring a tower at the center to symbolize the Olympic rings emblem. Among all, the dark blue tower stands for Europe, the black for Africa, the red for South and North America, the yellow for Asia and green for Australia, combining the culture and architectural forms of the entire world within a single structure. The Olympic Rings Island accommodating numerous complex and hotels not only infuses a new life in the mega sports event, but also gives an entirely new look to the city of Sochi.Setting the stage for the Winter Olympic Games to be held in the city of Sochi in... more
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If you want to create your own office environment than this portable offices are perfect for you. This will give your own space and you can work on these portable offices without any interruption.If you want to create your own office environment than this portable offices are... more
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If you are in city and have problem for parking place than this car is suitable for you. Suitable for two persons and can give you comfort as well.If you are in city and have problem for parking place than this car is suitable for... more
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California’s Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, paid a surprise visit to the General Motors (GM) exhibit to learn more about the EcoCAR Challenge competition. He spent some time hearing about the EcoCAR program from Kent Helfrich, who serves as the powertrain executive lead for EcoCAR and is also the Director for Powertrain Software Engineering at GM. The Governor participated in the opening session of the 2009 SAE World Congress by taking part in a sit-down question and answer interview session on stage at the AVL Technology Leadership Theatre.
http://www.sae.org/congress/California’s Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, paid a surprise visit to the General... more
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While there’s no question that LED lamps use a fraction of the energy to produce the same amount of light compared with a standard incandescent bulb, several Bits readers have pointed out that that’s only half the story.
If the energy used to create and dispose of the LED lamp is more than that for a comparable standard bulb, then all of the proclaimed energy savings to produce light are for naught.
Until recently, no one knew if that was the case. In March, a preliminary study reported by Carnegie Mellon indicated that LED lamps were more energy efficient throughout their life, but the researchers pointed out that not every aspect of the production process was taken into account.
A new study released on Tuesday by Osram, the German lighting giant, claims to have confirmed the efficiency findings.
Conducted by the Siemens Corporate Technology Centre for Eco Innovations (Siemens is the parent of Osram and Sylvania), the report examines the energy needed to create and power an LED lamp. Even the energy needed to ship a lamp from the factory in China to an installation in Europe was taken into account.
The study used a 25,000-hour LED lamp life as a constant, comparing the energy needed throughout its life to that used for 25 1,000-hour incandescents and 2.5 10,000-hour compact fluorescents.
The findings, according to a summary of the study: today’s LED lamps are essentially as energy efficient as compact fluorescents, in the amount of energy needed to create, recycle and provide light. Osram said it expected those numbers to improve as LEDs become more energy efficient.
The company issued no in-depth information to support its claims. It said that confirming data will be released this fall, after review by three independent analysts.
But assuming the numbers hold, this total Life Cycle Assessment should put to rest any lingering doubts about the overall “greenness” of LEDs.While there’s no question that LED lamps use a fraction of the energy to produce the... more
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3 months ago
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To produce ATP, bacteria generate charge gradients when metabolizing nutrients, and these could theoretically be harvested. In the early 1990's, proof-of-concept microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were developed using bacterial electrolytes. These systems fed simple sugars to bacteria in anaerobic conditions and with an applied field. Electrons produced during digestion move to the anode while protons diffuse to the cathode, where they can recombine with any electrons that have conducted across a load circuit.To produce ATP, bacteria generate charge gradients when metabolizing nutrients, and... more
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Often overlooked is the fact that straw and wood are similar in composition, and both will rot if the right conditions are present. The breaking point of the moisture tolerance of straw is typically said to be a sustained 20% moisture-by-weight (equivalent to about 80% relative humidity), which is the necessary level of moisture to support fungus and rot. (Some certain measure of heat is also part of the equation.) Note that this moisture content must be sustained; experience shows that occasional high moisture levels are acceptable provided the bales are afforded an adequate drying regime.Often overlooked is the fact that straw and wood are similar in composition, and both... more
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