LifeHacker’s Energy Saving Tips

Check out this interesting  post on LifeHacker about ways to significantly reduce your energy bills.

Check this post from Jason Chen   He managed to cut 1/3 from his energy bill.   You might find some good tips there …

Remember; unless your energy is from a renewable source, reducing your energy use also lowers your carbon footprint and can save you some money.

Via:  LifeHacker  LINK

Heat from Commuters in Stockholm’s Central Station Serves Nearby Office Block

Swedish ngineers have found a way to recover the excess heat generated by commuters in Stockholm’s main train station and use that energy to heat a nearby office block.

The technology is not all that different from typical heat exchangers … this application is well suited to climates like Sweden where the winters are quite cold and the cost of petroleum based fuels is quite high.

Check out this video of more details … 

 

Streetline Networks Technology Can Reduce Carbon Emissions in Cities

Streetline uses software and sensors to adjust parking meter pricing to reduce cars circling for parking spaces.  It is estimated that up to 30 % of carbon emissions are caused once a car is in the city - circling for a cheap parking space at a parking meter.  When meter prices are close to the rate of a parking lot the incentive to keep driving looking for a cheap meter spot goes way down ... as does wasted fuel and emissions and CO2.

" ... estimated that 30% of urban traffic congestion is caused by drivers looking for parking. ... reducing congestion ... makes finding a parking space that much easier. ..."


Via:  Streetine   LINK

NYK YAMATAI Uses Air Bubbles to Reduce CO2 Emissions in Bulk Carrier

schematic of bubbler system

NYK's (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) Yamatai will have a unique method to reduce CO2 ... by injecting air bubble at the bottom of the hull.  This reduces drag between the hull and sea water.  The result is lower CO2 emissions. 

" ... first vessel engaged in overseas transport to make use of a permanently installed air-lubrication system using an air-blower ...   generate bubbles ... to the vessel bottom ... expected to result in 10 percent less CO₂ emissions from the vessel."


Via:  NYK Group LINK

Volvo to Look at Car "Skin" as Additional Battery Source

Volvo is looking at a possible new battery technology that can double as the car "skin". The idea is to make new hybrids lighter and more efficient by having the car's "skin" serve a dual purpose.

"Researchers from Imperial College London ... and Volvo are developing a prototype material that’s strong and light enough to be used as a car’s skin but can store and discharge electrical energy."

" ... material is made of carbon fibers and a polymer resin and can store and discharge large amounts of energy much more quickly than conventional batteries."

" ... does not use chemical processes, making it quicker to recharge than conventional batteries. Unlike conventional chemical batteries, the recharging process also causes little degradation in the composite material."

" ... could also be used as both battery and shell of consumer electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers. Without conventional batteries, the devices could be smaller and more lightweight."

  Via: SmartPlanet LINK

FedEx Hybrid Trucks

FedEx continues to increase their compliment of hybrid trucks and now has its first all-hybrid facility.

" ... will pick up another 51 gas-electric hybrid trucks from Azure Dynamics ... Most ... will be added to its Bronx, N.Y. station, which will become its first all-hybrid facility. ... "

" ..The Bronx location will have 100 hybrid trucks. FedEx has 325 hybrid trucks total...."

" ... . expects to improve fuel efficiency by 30 percent. ... FedEx hybrid fleet has logged more than four million miles of revenue service since 2004. ... estimates that it has reduced fuel use by 150,000 gallons and carbon dioxide emissions by 1,521 metric tons. ... received a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for the latest round of hybrid trucks."

Via: SmartPlanet LINK

Climate Savers Computing

Climate Savers Computing seeks to develop and manufacture / buy technologies that allow computers to use less energy when they are inactive. The numbers in the text below show that an incredible amount of energy can be saved, money can be saved and carbon eliminated from the atmosphere.

Does you PC have any energy saving tools ... and are you using them? Do you turn off your PC when not used ... does you monitor go into a reduced energy state after a set period of inactivity?

If so great!
If not ... WHY NOT?

Read on for more ...

" ... is a nonprofit group ... started in the spirit of WWF’s Climate Savers program ... demonstrating that reducing emissions is good business. ... to promote development, deployment and adoption of smart technologies that can both improve the efficiency of a computer’s power delivery and reduce the energy consumed when the computer is in an inactive state."

" ... participants ... commit to producing products that meet specified power-efficiency targets, and corporate participants commit to purchasing power-efficient computing products."

" By 2010, we seek to reduce global CO2 emissions from the operation of computers by 54 million tons per year, ... the annual output of 11 million cars or 10–20 coal-fired power plants ..."

"U.S. college students could save more than 2.3 billion kilowatt hours per year of electricity by enabling power saving features on their desktop PCs. ... annual savings of more than $200 million in energy costs and a 1.8 million-ton reduction of CO2 emissions ... equivalent to taking more than 350,000 cars off the road."


Via: climatesaverscomputing LINK

Biodiesel Powered School Buses

School districts across the US are making the move to biodiesel fuel to augment or replace regular diesel. Among the reasons are less pollutants (CO2, particulates, ...), lessening reliance on imported oil and using more renewable resources.

One of the trade-offs is the increased cost for biodiesel - this is usually offset by grant money. Some districts are staying with biodiesel even after the grant money runs out ...

Below are some school districts that powered by biodiesel:

Medford, New Jersey - " ... began using B20 in 1997. ... fuel has performed well even in temperatures as low as eleven degrees below zero ... a technology that is not capital intensive and can be applied to older units as well as today's vehicles.”

Meridian, Idaho - " ... using up to 125,000 gallons of B20 biodiesel ...working to ... use the fuel other in vehicles. ..."

Warwick, Rhode Island - " ... use various blend levels of biodiesel in their heating boilers in 2001 and 2002. ... starting to use biodiesel in their fleet of 58 school buses. ..."

Campbell and McLean Counties in Kentucky - " ... use B20 in their school buses. ..."

Olympia Illinois "- " ... began using biodiesel (B2) in August 2002 in all 33 of its school buses and about 20 operation and maintenance support vehicles such as lawnmowers, pickup trucks and tractors ... buses travel 4,000 miles a day, or an average of 600,000 miles a year."

Hammond, Indiana - " ... began fueling its school buses with B20 in the 2001 school year under a grant from the Indiana Department of Commerce to pay for the incremental cost increase of the fuel. Although the grant has expired, fleet administrator John Molnar says he continues to use biodiesel because he thinks it’s the right thing to do.

Arlington County, Virginia - " ...using B20 in the county’s 500 diesel-powered vehicles, including 120 school buses, ..."

Via: National Biodiesel Board LINK

PSEG to Double its Solar Capacity by 2013

PSE&G will double its installed solar capacity with (1) pole mounted distributed solar panels and (2) solar gardens and roof installations.

"... invest $515 million in 80 megawatts of solar projects ... creating green jobs ... expects to complete the installations by the end of 2013."

" ... installing a solar unit ... on 200,000 utility poles in PSE&G’s service territory ... the largest pole-attached solar installation in the world ... power ... sold into the PJM wholesale grid."

" ... effectively double the size of New Jersey’s installed solar capacity ... more solar capacity than ... any state other than California ..."

Via: PSE&G LINK

Ocean Gate NJ to get Windmill

Image via Wikipedia

The tiny town of Ocean Gate, NJ (approx. 2,200 residents) is the site of the "... first small wind turbine project in New Jersey. ... started ... with one man ... Jim Fry vacationed in Ocean Gate ... and wanted to move here full time ... decided to build a "green" home ... After listening to Fry, the mayor and council warmed to the idea of energy from the wind and became the first town in the state to adopt an ordinance providing for the use of a small wind energy system. ... expects its wind turbines to be in operation by Labor Day weekend."

"...two 50-kilowatt turbines that will power the municipal office building and the water treatment plant took ... Ocean Gate will not have to buy some 224,000 kilowatts of electricity ... about 18 tons of carbon dioxide will not be released into the air...."


Via: APP.com LINK

Zwahlens - Audubon Pa Ice Cream Shop Get Solar Powered

Zwahlen's is a local (Audubon PA) ice cream and chocolate establishment that just so happens to have the first commercial use of SRS Energy's Sole Power Tile Roof.
I was driving past the store last evening when my son told me about the sign on the front that said --- something along the lines "the best ice cream under the sun is now powered by the sun". I needed to check this out ...
" SRS Energy, ...installed ... the first building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing product designed for curved roofing systems, ... the first commercial installation of the Sole Power Tile(TM) system ..."

"T...a great example of how time-tested traditions and cutting-edge technology can meet to create something beautiful," said Marty Low, CEO of SRS Energy and owner of Zwahlen's. "

" ... designed to blend seamlessly with several styles of US Tile's clay tiles, providing energy without the use of traditional solar panels that can compromise a building's roofline and curb appeal. ... preserves Zwahlen's charming Swiss chalet look."

"SRS Energy recently introduced the Sole Power Tile(TM) system to the greater Philadelphia region at the PV America show, held at the Pennsylvania Convention center during the week of June 7, 2009."
SRS Energy's Sole Power Tile can generate 500 Watts per sq ft.
Via: EarthTimes LINK
Via: SRS Energy LINK

Apple's Greenest iPhone

Like their new iMacBook laptops - Apple is making their iPhones greener ... by removing toxic materials from the phone.

" ... new iPhone has arsenic-free glass, BFR-free, mercury-free LCD, PVC-free system, 23% smaller packaging. Smaller packaging also affects CO2 emissions ..."



Via: sustainlane.com LINK