High Altitude Wind Turbines: To harness winds 1,000 feet up in the sky

Harnessing the power of high altitude winds has been continually explored over the years. Recently, testing of a 35-foot wide prototype of an Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT) has been completed by Altaeros Energies. The AWT was deployed at 350 feet high and produced twice as much power at high altitude than generated at conventional tower height turbines, this was done in an automated cycle. It was transported and deployed from a trailer, which can be very useful in remote areas. It is as clean and portable as it can get.

The Value of a Tree - worth $193,250

We all know how important trees are to mother nature. Some even consider it priceless, while others would simply place a commercial value on them. But have you ever wondered, How much a tree is really worth?.

In our recent trip to the City of Davao, Philippines. We visited one of their main tourist attraction, the Eden Nature Park & Resort. Our journey around the 80 hectares park, led us across a billboard, right on the side of a walkway, with the heading "A tree is worth $193,250".

 "Of concern to all! A tree is worth $193,250. According to Professor T.M.Das of the University of Calcutta. A tree living for 50 years will generate $31,250 worth of oxygen, provide $62,000 worth of air pollution control, control soil erosion and increase soil fertility to the tune of $31,250. Recycle $37,500 worth of water and provide a home for animals worth $31,250. This figure does not include the value of fruits, lumber or beauty derived from trees. Just another sensible reason to take care of our forests."

It may not be an accurate calculation but it is just amazing how the tree's benefits were presented by that small billboard. It is a good reminder and a simple green solution that we could use onour way towards greener technology and solutions. Well, sometimes we need to be reminded of the obvious.

McDonald's New Paper Cups To Replace Polystyrene Coffee Cups

The company has taken a major environmental initiative, by launching a pilot program to drop the use of polystyrene foam cups. Their previous initiative was phasing out Styrofoam for its food packaging, but hot beverages were still served on polystyrene cups.

The program is testing a double-walled paper cup as replacement for polystyrene cups. It will involve 2,000 of their restaurants in the U.S primarily on the West Coast, that represent 15 percent of their restaurants in the U.S.

Since it is still on a testing process, the pilot program will asses; Customer acceptance, Operational impact and Overall importance.

This is definitely a great news for the environment. Especially with a move from a large international company like McDonald's. They have done such move, in fact, in the past decade the company has reduced their waste by 30 percent, eliminated more than 300 million pounds of packaging, save $6 million per year, and is currently one of the largest purchasers of recycled paper for use in its food containers and napkin.

Having stated above that the company is making a major move "for the environment", I wondered why is still their a need for testing? And why the customer's acceptance are necessary? Well obviously, they are more focused on the company image or operation, rather than making it a move for healthier environment.

Let us just hope the tests goes well and the program is implemented across all their restaurants worldwide. And hopefully, other companies would follow on with environmental moves.

source: GreenBiz

Philippines' first public e-Jeepney franchise, launched in Makati

Philippines's first commercial Electronic Jeepney (left),
traditional Public utility jeepney (right)

Twenty one (21) e-jeepneys started running on the streets of Makati City on March 01, 2012. After the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has issued the country's first commercial electronic jeepney (e-jeepney) franchise last February 27, 2012.

Clean water out of humid air - Foreign help for CDO

A foreign company introduces green technology to provide clean water for the Typhoon Sendong damaged Cagayan de Oro (CDO) Philippines. G2 machines are said to produce clean drinkable water from humid air, plus, it will also be powered by solar energy.

Six G2 units (Generation 2 water humidifier) has been provided to the province as a much needed help for the typhoon victims. This cutting-edge product is an atmospheric water generator, that produces sterilized water out of humid air. It does not just produce water, but clean it produces clean, sterilized and drinkable water. The machine is suitable for use in disaster struck areas.

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.