From Treehugger
You wouldn't want to waste your time just lying in the sun. Now you can make the sun work for you whilst you are soaking up the rays.
This chaise lounge has a panel over the head made of solar panel fabric that acts as a sunshade and moves to protect you from the sun. At the same time it collects solar energy. This is converted into electricity that can be used to charge all those essential gadgets needed for the beach such as a dock to download your digital camera pictures and load up MP3 players and even a GPS in case you get lost. It has a sliding laptop table so that you can read TreeHugger at the same time. Of course there are speakers and long-range WiFi antennae. Called the "Tech Chair", the humble sun lounger has been transformed into an "advanced technological hub of summer entertainment". Just pull on that solar bikini and you are ready to roll.
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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
RawSolar is emerging just at the right moment in the solar industry. While public projects are on hold, smaller systems for private lands can get some room on the solar industry playground. Incubated at MIT, RawSolar has a solar-concentrating dish prototype that looks promising, and they’re starting in on their business plan in Berkeley.
Back in May we covered how the dish works, and it’s great to see the team making some progress on the business end of the project. While they aren’t the only low-cost solar concentrating system in the works, they’re taking a unique angle on its use. Rather than producing electricity, RawSolar is focusing on selling steam power that can heat buildings or be applied to manufacturing processes. The dish has a 12-foot-long tube rising from the center that has water running through it and, when pointed at the sun, can turn that water in to steam immediately. RawSolar hopes to covert companies using thermal power to steam power, utilizing power purchase agreements that are cheaper than what the companies spend on natural gas for thermal power.
Concentrated solar is getting a lot of eyes turned its way because it is generally space-efficient and cost-efficient. Because RawSolar’s dish can be easily constructed from inexpensive and easily obtained materials, with minimal labor and technical knowledge involved, it promises to be one of the most practical and cost-efficient solar-concentrating systems. David Pelly, MIT Sloan School of Management lecturer, stated that this is the cheapest set-up he’s seen to a solar energy system, and notes that the fact that it is made of inexpensive materials available anywhere in the world makes global use of the product possible. It’ll be exciting to see where the team takes this venture.
The bay area is attractive to RawSolar because there are fewer solar companies there than in other areas of California
, and, of course, the area is ripe with engineering talent. Plus, close proximity to San Jose may prove to be lucrative. The company is looking for funding and is hoping to have its first pilot program up and running with a customer by year’s end. Bummer they’re a little late to capture the long summer sun…
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With an average of more than 300 cloudy or partly-cloudy days a year in the Seattle area, we can use all the natural light we can get.
Delivering that light, and playing a potentially crucial role in energy conservation, are features in our home that we barely even notice. After all, they're so ... transparent. But windows matter.
Follow these tips to take full advantage of the green potential in your windows.
Big fix, big bucks
Owners of older homes often fantasize about replacing all their drafty old windows with energy-efficient ones. The harsh reality is that this could set you back anywhere from $7,000 to $20,000, and more if you need custom sizes, according to Consumer Reports.
So even though they would likely save you more than 15 percent a year on heating and cooling expenses, it may not be cost-effective to put in new windows for energy savings alone, since they would not pay for themselves for at least 20 years.
As an alternative, you could retrofit your home with storm windows to improve energy-efficiency at a lower cost.
The great vinyl debate
When you do need to replace windows or install new ones, energy-efficient windows are the clear choice. Consult the Web sites for Energy Star, the Efficient Windows Collaborative and the National Fenestration Rating Council (a nonprofit that rates energy performance of windows, doors and skylights). You'll need their help to window-shop through the confusing array of energy-efficient options now available, including double-pane, triple-pane, gas-filled (to reduce heat loss) and windows with heat-reflective (low-emissivity or "low-E") films and coatings.
The material used in the window frame also makes a big difference for energy conservation. Since window frames made from vinyl (polyvinyl chloride, or PVC) are energy-efficient, durable, easy to maintain and affordable, some green-building advocates recommend them.
But because production of vinyl can release dangerous chemicals, the Washington Toxics Coalition and other environmental groups recommend window frames made from alternative materials such as sustainably harvested wood.
Though each type of window and frame has its proponents, everyone agrees that poor installation can negate the benefits of even the most energy-efficient windows. Spend as much time evaluating contractors and getting recommendations on them as you do researching windows.
Follow the money
A federal tax break for home energy-efficiency improvements, including windows, expired last December. But Puget Sound Energy (PSE) customers can save $500 on the purchase of seven or more Energy Star-rated windows using PSE's Contractor Referral Service through July 31. A Seattle City Light program provides discounts for building owners to install energy-efficient windows in apartments and condominiums.
Breaking the mold
One advantage of energy-efficient windows is that they can reduce water condensation on your windows. If moisture routinely collects on windows in the winter, you should also take steps to reduce humidity in your home. For example, use bathroom and kitchen fans, keep lids on pots of boiling water and avoid drying firewood in the house.
If mold collects on window sills as a result of excess moisture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends scrubbing it off with detergent and water, and drying the area completely. You don't need bleach or specialized products to clean mold on hard surfaces.
Let the sunshine in
"Daylighting" is the modern name for a centuries-old idea — using windows or skylights to fill your home with natural light. Green builders design homes with this in mind, placing large windows facing south to catch the sun. A related technique, "passive solar," may utilize interior materials that soak up heat from the sun, such as concrete floors.
It might not make sense financially to undertake major renovations such as large skylights to bring in additional daylight. But for a more modest solution in a room without much natural light, consider an Energy Star-rated solar tube, or tubular skylight. Consisting of a reflective tube 10-21 inches in diameter running between the ceiling and the roof, these usually cost $150 to $600, not including installation.
In the summer, the trick is to keep sunlight from pouring into your windows and heating up your home. You can employ various strategies indoors and out, from simple blinds and draperies to shades, shutters and awnings.
And don't forget shade trees, the old green standby. Mature deciduous trees (those that drop their leaves in the fall) will allow 60 percent or more of the winter sunlight to stream in through your windows, and their leafy canopy will cool your home over the summer.
If you plant a flowering tree or one with vivid fall color, you'll have even more natural beauty to enjoy through your green windows.
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From Planet Green
Giving, receiving, trading, bartering, and dealing--using resources like newspaper classifieds and online services like Craigslist or Freecycle --is already a greener practice than buying everything you need brand-new, but a new service promises to make the process even greener.
EcoFlip, "planted" on Earth Day 2008, is a local classifieds community for eco-friendly people. Offering a variety of products from categories like "Green Living," "Household Products" and even "Fuel-Efficient Vehicles" to eco-friendly services (architecture, interior design, and massage are just a few), and some sustainable community-building ideas like ridesharing and activies. And, for all of you single and ready to mingle greenies out there, even an "EcoPersonals" section. Much like a newspaper or online classifieds, they've got a category for just about everything you could want; the only difference is at EcoFlip, it's all green.
Though they're just over a month old, EcoFlip already has a presence in 42 countries--from Argentina to the United States and Australia to the United Arab Emirates--and is working on building online communities in all 50 states here in the U.S. It's free to post to the classifieds, and free to look to see what's available near you. Though currently still in beta, they'll be adding and updating features all the time, so if you can't find what you're looking for today, check back often to see if there's a green trade or green recipient waiting for you. ::EcoFlip"
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