Prepeat - Inkless rewritable printer

The Prepeat, "Print Repeat" is an eco-printer that can significantly reduce our use of papers. This rewritable printer is inkless, tonerless and makes the printed papers completely reusable. How does it do that? Well, the Prepeat uses a special paper made from PET plastic that can be printed on over and over again without degradation in quality, through the Prepeat. The printer uses a special thermal head that erases the content of the paper and at the time prints the new document. The printer promotes high-speed printing as well as reduce the running costs if you factor in the ink and paper. From the video, we can determine that the current price on the printer is at 500,000 yen, that is around $,5,600. While the special paper is sold in lots of 1,000 pieces which is another 300,000 yen or $3,360. And the paper is said to be reusable for 1,000 times of re-printing.

With this technology, offices can also say goodbye to paper shredders. Since the Prepeat can also erase the paper's content without re-printing anything. Just slide the paper into the printer and press the erase button. However, there has been no details on how much information can be extracted from the paper, if ever this is possible. This may pose as an issue for handling confidential documents.

Checkout the video and be amazed. It is truly clean and green technology.

source: diginfot.tv

The Bloom Box - "Energy server"

Could Energy Internet be in the very near future? At the size of a refrigerator a Bloom Box generates 200 kW of clean, efficient and affordable electricity, day and night. Its to early to say but this may revolutionize power generation,just like how Computing machine - Desktop computers - Laptops has evolved. At least that is how its manufacturer, Bloomenergy, claims. But the plus side on this technology evolution, is its contribution to reducing Carbon emissions.

Sulfur Oxide fuel Cells (SOFC)

A Bloom Box converts existing fuel sources like natural gas or biogas into electricity through an electro-chemical process. Each fuel cell consists of thousands of solid oxide fuel cells. Each cell is a flat solid ceramic square made from a common sand-like "powder". A single fuel cell can produce 25W, which can already power a light bulb. The refrigerator-sized energy servers consists of several stack of these fuel cells capable of generating 200kW power. The Energy Servers can also be interconnected to produce more power if necessary.

The concept is to create decentralized networks of Energy Servers, each powering small groups of buildings or homes.

Click here to see How it works

The 200kW Energy servers are currently at $700,000 to $800,000 and are being used by key companies - Google, ebay, Walmart and more. However, in its recent press release, they have

Water converts Wood into Biofuel

Using water (supercritical water) to extract the sugars from parts of food crops that does not get eaten. Once the sugars are extracted they can be fermented into biofuel, which are largely ethanol.

Producing biofuel from food crops has been controversial, because it can raise the cost of corn and grain. But making the alternative fuel from the part of the food crop that doesn't get eaten, such as the stalks, or from waste wood is expensive, as well as chemical- and energy-intensive. But a start up company called Renmatix says it has an answer: Use supercritical water to extract the sugars.

25,000 Pinoy Homes lit by Sunlight-powered plastic bottle bulbs

Around 25,000 low-income homes in the Philippines have been lit up after the launch of a scheme, six months ago, to fit sunlight-powered “bulbs” made from old plastic bottles, "A Liter of Light" or "Isang litrong liwanag".

A Liter of Light project was launched by the My Shelter Foundation, a Philippines-based NGO which aims to provide light to 1 million of the roughly 12 million homes who are either still without light or live on the threshold of having their electricity shut down.

Roughly 40% of the population lives off less than $2 a day, the rising cost of power leaves many unable to afford electricity. Some use candles as a light source, but when generations of family members share a small, dark space in shanty towns, accidental and destructive fires are often the result.

Kodak reinvention: from camera film to flexible (thin-film) Solar Cells

Kodak is in the process of trying to reinvent itself through flexible (thin-film) Solar Cells.  It may be a long shot, but they are hoping to use its existing film manufacturing equipment to produce thin-film solar cells.

Kodak, the camera and film maker, has filled for bankruptcy recently this January 2012. They have suffered as digital cameras has eclipsed film technology over the last decade. It has tried to compete and sold digital cameras itself but was unable to keep up companies that have more technical competence in electronics.

Seaweed into Biofuel - Breakthrough found

Using synthetic biology and enzyme engineering, a new form of E. coli bacteria was created that can digest all the sugars found in brown seaweed, producing ethanol that is twice the yield of sugar cane and five times that of corn.

This breakthrough of transforming seaweed into fuel has been the dream of many scientists, entrepreneurs, and policy maker for years. The traditional biofuel crops, corn and sugar cane, has been topics of several debate since these traditional biofuel sources compete with food crops in terms of precious land area and fresh water, but Seaweed doesn't.

Green Cars at NAIAS 2012

This is a featured news via ecogeek.org by Philip Proefrock

Two years ago, automakers were scrambling to out-green each other and to emphasize their green halo, and the show's main floor included an 'Electric Avenue' with all manner of unusual vehicles (most of which have not returned). But the age of the bamboo thumb drive has already passed. As we noted last year, hybrids and electric drive vehicles now just seem to be an expected part of the mix in a manufacturer's line. Along with this, relatively simple features like auto-start/stop are becoming more prevalent in more models.
A couple of new companies on this year's show floor were particularly interesting. These include Coda, a company that is selling electric drive cars. They seem to have just a single model, but the company looks like a more complete contender than BYD, another Chinese manufacturer that has been at show the past couple of years, was not present at this year's show. (The Coda body and battery are manufactured in China, but final assembly takes place in the US.)

20T e-trikes by 2012 in Cebu City

As fuel prices continue to rise and air pollution worsens. The government is looking at a cleaner alternative source of energy. This year, Twenty (20) thousand electric tricycles, "e-trikes", are eyed for Cebu City by the end of 2012.

The first significant step of the Philippine government towards a more sutainable, cleaner and energy-efficient mode of transport, was the launching of the e-Jeepney (electric jeepneys) making the country's basic mode of transportation cleaner.


Last aprill 2011, Pres. Aquino has launched the first twenty (20) electric tricycles (e-trikes) in the country. The e-trikes where turned over to the City of Mandaluyong as the pilot area of the program. This has marked a significant step towards a sustainable, clean and energy-efficient mode of transport.

E-trikes is a project of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Which aims to present energy-efficient transport and promote green technology. As part of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Alternative Fuel Transport Program. They are pushing for green mode of transport and are eyeing

Lithium air Battery - Holy grail of EV technology

IBM's lithium air battery could make electric vehicles (EV) as cheap as a typical family car. IBM is leading the research, together with four US technology giant laboratories and commercial partners, in creating a battery that will power an EV up to 800 kilomtres (500 miles) in  what a coalition dubbed as The Battery500 Project.

Despite the advances of the EV techonology for the past years. Current EVs can travel only about 100  miles on a single charge, using the latest Lithium-oi (Li-on) battery technology today. This creates a major drawback to switching to a cleaner and cheaper energy source electric vehicle.

IBM claims to have solved the main problem with electric vehicles. With a new type of battery,

Makati City: Southeast Asia's First Energy-Effecient City

Did you know that Makati City (the financial hub of the Philippines today) has been recognized as Southeast Asia's First Energy-Efficient City on July 2009  by  international organization Greenpeace for its programs committed to reduce its carbon footprint?
Makati has constantly supported and promoted environment friendly and energy-efficient initiatives. They have optimized scarce resources to achieve eco-sustainability. Having eco-efficient buildings and structures and promoting the use of e-Jeepneys (Electric Jeepneys).

Austin Energy Turns On 30 MW Solar Farm in Texas

The 30 Megawatt (MW) solar farm in Webberville, Texas began generating power on December 20, 2011. It is the largest active solar project of any public power utility in the country, the largest active project in Texas and among the largest of all operating solar projects in America. 

The 30MW solar project contains more than 127,00 Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels which are mounted on single-axis trackers that tracks the sun to maximize solar energy production, electricity output. The 380 acres photovoltaic solar farm is expected to generate 61 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy on the first year. 1.4 billion kWh of renewable energy over 25 years . That is enough clean energy to power more than 136,000 average U.S. homes (5,000 homes per year). In the same time frame, using the solar farm as energy source will prevent the emission of 1.6 billion pounds of CO2 in to the atmosphere.

This is clean and green technology at work.

More photos

Via Austin Energy

Corals revived by Electricity

Electricity Sparks New Life Into Indonesia's Corals. A weak, harmless voltage run through metallic structures underwater is reviving near-dead reefs. Based on "Biorock" technology", it has been implemented in twenty (20) countries, mainly in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific. The electrolysis provokes a fast build-up of limestone, helping corals flourish.

3 year old Biorock: Ibu Karang;Pemuteran Bali, Indonesia: J.Cervino

The “BioRock” coral reef restoration method, accelerates coral growth. The harmless electrical current on metal structures, causes the minerals dissolved in sea water to crystallize and deposit on to the metal structure. Amazingly, the resulting limestone material  is similar to what coral organisms themselves produce  naturally.

Why care about corals? - www.coral.org

Coral reefs benefit a healthy world by providing:

Solar-powered Kindle cover means you never have to plug it in again

This is a featured news via venturebeat.com by Sean Ludwig

If you’ve ever wanted a Kindle that you never have to plug in, SolarFocus has the accessory for you with its solar-powered Kindle case.
Green tech has dominated the conversation around cars, but now it seems these eco-friendly trends are edging into mobile at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, where SolarFocus is debuting its Kindle case. Taiwan-based SolarFocus has other solar-panel products that have USB ports, but its Kindle case might be the most interesting, specific device.
The solar-powered Kindle case fits only the fourth-generation Kindle, but it should be available for the Kindle Touch in the spring. The front part of the case features one long solar panel, which is a bit inelegant. On the inside, there is a pop-up light that can help you read at night or in low-lighting.
SolarFocus says its Kindle case will make the Kindle battery last three times the normal duration, which amounts to three months. But because you can charge solely off the solar charger, you could, in theory, never need to plug it into a wall or computer USB port again.
The SolarFocus solar-powered Kindle case is a 2012 International CES Innovations Design & Engineering Awards Honoree. The device will be available online starting Jan. 15 for $80.

Here are a few other photos of the innovative solar-powered case:

Compressed Air-Powered Car EnigineHow does it work?

On my previous post I tackled about the up coming release of MDI and TATA Motor's Air-Powered vehicle, the MiniCAT, this year. You were probably in disbelief of the idea that your vehicle can be powered by air from your surroundings. Well I also asked the same question when I first heard about it. How does a compressed air-powered engine work?

 

MDI's AirPod One and its compressed air engine, at MDI's headquarters near Nice, France.

Lionel Cirroneau/AP Photo

The Compressed Air-powered Engine (CAE) works with the laws of physics. As the law dictates that unconfined air (gasses) will fill up any given space. That is how the CAE works. But this principle is best seen with a simple inflated balloon and a pin. The balloon's elastic skin contains the air tightly inside it. At the moment you bore a hole on the balloon's surface, using the pin. The air inside the balloon will expand outwards with such energy that the balloon explodes.

Compressing air into a small space builds up pressure, this is way of storing energy. When the air is released, it expands with such energy to to work. The expansion of pressurized air has the same characteristic with fuel combustion. Both moves the engine's pistons using the energy generated on expansion or combustion.

TATA Technology's Compressed Air-Powered Car Engine In 2012

The world's first air-powered vehicle is set to for release in India this year - 2012. The car runs on compressed air making it a zero carbon emission vehicle. To make it even greener, it also uses vegetable oil as engine oil. This amazingly clean and green vehicle is called the "MiniCAT".

The Compressed Air Engine (CAE) was developed by ex-Formula One engineer, Guy Nègre, for the French company Motor Development International (MDI). TATA Motors, India's largest automaker, has invested on MDI's engine to produce the world's first air-powered vehicle.

Powered by compressed air the vehicle produces 0% CO2 emissions. Clean air is expelled by the exhaust pipe has a temperature between 0-15 degrees below zero. Which can be used for the vehicle's air conditioning, with no loss of power and mileage.

The MiniCAT is a light urban car, which is suitable for city transportation. It is a six-seater vehicle built with aluminum rod chassis, fibre and injected foam body, 800cc four-cylinder engine with a maximum power of 25hp at 4,000rpm and a regenerative braking system, which recovers 13% of used power. It can reach a top speed of 110 km/h and can travel up to 200km between refills. Its 340-litre carbon fiber air tank can be filled with 4350psi air.