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From EcoGeek
"Dell is showing off what may be one of the most mainstream, eco-friendly computers to date. It also looks really damm cool. It's called the Dell Studio Hybrid and it starts with a cost of around $500. You may have seen an early design concept of that featured before.
The Dell Studio Hybrid, available now, is about the size of a collegiate dictionary, according to Dell. It is also said to be the computer manufacturer's greenest PC to date. Highlights in this particular area include the aforementioned small form factor, making it around 80 percent smaller than standard desktops, packaging made from mostly recyclable materials and, most importantly, using reportedly 70 percent less power than a typical desktop. It is also said to meet Energy Star 4 requirements with a very efficient power supply.
The PC, which can be set in vertical or horizontal orientations, comes with a choice of interchangeable external finishes. This includes a bamboo look, which would go nicely with your new, eco-friendly SimpleTech Drive.
Technical aspects of the Studio Hybrid can include, depending upon the configuration, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, digital/analog TV tuner, HDMI port, Wi-Fi and a Blu-ray Disc drive. You also have access, as an option, to a Dell online backup service."
From Ecogeek
Back in February we talked about the Suntory Mermaid II – a boat that encapsulates a pretty “duh” idea of powering a boat with waves. Well, creator Ken-ichi Horie and the boat have completed their goal journey of getting from Japan to Hawaii - a distance of 4,350 miles. It took nearly four months of going and average of 1.5 knots, but they made it. And set an I-Did-It-First record in the process.
The Suntory mermaid II uses the most advanced wave-power technology, with extra electricity coming from solar panels to run navigation lights. Since it is the most advanced, by virtue of being the only, it’s a great starting point for future wave-powered boats that go – I should hope – a little faster. Horie says the problem to be solved is how to keep the boat's speed up when the waves are weak.
Maybe one day we’ll see a race between the Suntory Mermaid II and the Earthrace…and maybe an old-fashioned wind-powered sailboat thrown in for good measure.
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From Treehugger
Victorian Bedcurtains are back, as Sun Frost introduces the Sleep Genie, a tiny air conditioner just big enough to keep you comfy while you sleep in your insulated bedchamber. They note that it runs at 72 Watts, and can be powered by a 280 watt solar array. It is so logical, to reduce the load to reasonable amounts for solar simply by reducing the area cooled to the minimum. ::Sunfrost
But as Allison Arrieff says in the New York Times: "Great. You may be cooler, but now you’re claustrophobic." She continues: "its execution speaks to a larger issue: a general lack of innovation. Instead of re-imagining what an air conditioner could be (something portable, something that took a different form, something that ran on an alternative energy source), they simply took the existing form and shrank it."
She concludes with a challenge: "Home designs that neglect to address things like natural light and ventilation are not contributing to quality of life, let alone reducing heating and cooling costs.... for housing, the challenges are formidable, yet a quick look back to vernacular precedents like shotgun houses that encourage ventilation, and window orientation that encourages passive heating and cooling, would help point things in the right direction.
What is everyone waiting for?
TreeHugger has been looking for the holy grail of AC, the solar powered air conditioner, for a number of years. It is getting very close to commercial viability; we will be showing a few new units shortly. Here are some past AC innovations that caught our eye:
Some concepts just make sense- like when the developer of a solar powered pontoon boat pointed out-"Since most recreational boating is done when the weather is nice, solar power is particularly well adapted to the task." We were thinking that way while looking for a solar powered air conditioner- when do you need it? When it is hot and sunny.::Solar Powered Air Conditioning Just Makes Sense
Anybody in North America can understand the need for solar powered air conditioning today- there is so much sun, so much heat and everyone is hiding inside while all of our electric utiilities go into overload. Solar Powered Air Conditioning Getting Real
Now it looks like a Spanish company, Rotartica, has put it all together, by combining evacuated tube thermal collectors with a water-heated absorption chiller, and sized it at 4.5Kw (1.28 tons) for residential use, all packaged in a neat little box. Small-Scale Solar Powered Air Conditioning Is Here
Until central air became common, Florida and Arizona were barely habitable- you went in winter and cleared out. Now 20% of our energy goes to power air conditioning, and it defines the peak loads. 5.5% of our gasoline goes to power our car air conditioning, and four southern states-California, Arizona, Texas and Florida, account for 35% of it. Clearly if we are going to use less energy we have to address this problem. Challenge: Build the Solar Powered Air Conditioner
The approach of warm weather has reminded us of Coolerado Coolers, a low energy air conditioning unit that delivers up to 5 tons of cooling while drawing only 1200 watts, a power load that can easily be handled by a solar installation. It is an evaporative cooler like the desert coolers we have shown before, but unlike most desert coolers, the cool moist air is put through an air-to-air heat exchanger so that the air supplied to the space is cool and dry, which is far more effective at keeping you cool. Coolerado Coolers: Getting Close to Solar Powered Air Conditioning
Every old power plant that can crank out a kilowatt is working overtime, burning coal and gas like mad, shuffling power all over a grid that is on the verge of collapse. Time to look again at a post John did in cooler times a year ago, for an idea whose time has really come. The Ice Bear connects up to a conventional air conditioning system, but uses it to make ice at night when the power is cheap and melts all day to keep you cool. Each unit can take 5 to 10 tons of cooling off the peak load. Ice Bear: Thermal Storage for Cheaper AC
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From EcoGeek
Japan Airlines (JAL) is going up into the wild blue yonder using (in part) second generation biofuel. They have a demonstration flight scheduled for the end of March 2009 that will feature a blend of jet fuel and cellulosic ethanol to power one of the four engines of a JAL Boeing 747-300 aircraft with Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines.
While they know the equipment they’re using, they aren’t yet decided on what biofuel they’re going with, though they’ve narrowed it down to second generation biofuels. JAL likes second generation biofuel because it doesn’t compete with people for natural food or water resources, and by using it, they may minimize (sort of) their environmental footprint. The company’s goal is a 20% cut on CO2 emissions per available tonne kilometers of its fleet, compared to 1990 levels, with a due date of 2010. So far it has achieved nearly 16% of that 20% goal. Going with a biofuel-jet fuel blend can help knock a percentage point or two off of that as well.If they’re really stretching for that goal, why not use the 787 with the biofuel cocktail, I wonder.
Using cellulosic ethanol, especially that from technology that turns municipal waste into useable fuel, is a pretty attractive notion for commercial airline flights. However, if they really want to make a dent in what they’re spending on increasingly expensive fuel and the massive amount of CO2 that commercial airline flights produce, they’ll have to figure out something more than putting a little biofuel into one engine. Talk about just dipping one’s toes in the pool. Perhaps they’re just waiting for the EU to make some headway in the science...
At any rate, Boeing will be conducting the biofuel screening and says it will pick the best performing fuel by the end of August. We'll keep our eyes out for any news updates.
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