Green Technology

A123 Systems has developed a Plug-In conversion kit for the Toyota Prius.  While not developed by Toyota - nor approved by Toyota - here are the details!

By inserting another battery between the normal (small) battery and the computer control systems the Prius is tricked to keep running on battery as there is more battery power.  This additional battery boost can carry many people through their daily commute ... allowing them to power the car mostly by electric from their home.

" ... ... half of the cars in the U.S. are driven just 25 miles a day or less....Plug-in Conversion Modules enable your vehicle to achieve outstanding fuel economy by electrically supplementing the hybrid drive train for up to 40 miles. When the Hymotion L5 module is fully depleted, your vehicle will function as a standard hybrid until you recharge."

" ... plug your car into your house using an extension cord and a standard 120V outlet. Your L5 module will be fully charged when you are ready to go in the morning. ..."

Via:  A123 Systems   Link

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Category: Electric Vehicle

... "As an additional benefit to the community, the highly reliable IBM BladeCenter Servers offer a proven open, easy and green technology that demands less energy and is easier and less costly to cool than other alternatives. " ...

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Category: Green-Data-Center

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  Plastic bottles are already recyclable (#2 type).  Now companies are looking at the amount of plastic per bottle.

Now Pepsico (owner of Pepsi Cola) has announced that they are " ...  introducing its lightest 500mL flavored non-carbonated beverage bottle yet.  ... has reduced the plastic in this bottle by 20%, which will eliminate approximately 20 million pounds of waste ... The lighter bottles will begin hitting store shelves this month."

" ... In addition to a 20% reduction in the plastic resin, there will be a 10% reduction in the label size and a 5% reduction in the shrink wrap film used to wrap the multi-packs."

“ ... challenge was to deliver significantly lighter packaging that would provide the same shelf life as the heavier bottle, withstand the manufacturing and distribution process yet not compromise aesthetics,” ..."

Via:  Pepsico.com   Link

Continue reading "Pepsi to use Less Plastic in Bottles" »

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Category: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

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Category: General Motors

CFL last longer and use less energy for an equivalent light output.  Manufacturers tout them as very suitable for locations where changing bulbs is difficult ...  So ... the NYC Transit is using CFL in Subway tunnels.

Read on for more ...  

" ... replacing its incandescent train signaling lights with ... light emitting diode (LED) Signals. ... a 60 percent savings in energy compared with traditional incandescent light. ... improve brightness 150 percent, and they decrease greenhouse gas emissions substantially ... also have an extremely long life, which reduces landfill use and saves labor.To date we’ve replaced 47,000 of our 60,000 signal lights with LED."

" ... replacing incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs in subway stations ... When NYC Transit switched to T12 fluorescent bulbs, station lighting increased 750 percent and power consumption decreased 28 percent. An additional change to T8 bulbs kept lighting as bright as before, but reduced our energy use by an extra 26 percent."

"Compact fluorescent bulbs in this tunnel will last 7,500 to 10,000 hours. Formerly, incandescent tunnel bulbs burned for only 750 hours."

Via:  NYC MTA    Link

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Category: Compact-Fluorescent-Lightbulb

... "The first product, a renewable diesel that works in today's engines, is targeted for commercialization in 2010. Scale-up and testing work to date indicate that this fuel scales more quickly and economically than currently available biofuels, and reduces emissions by 80 percent over petroleum diesel. Using Amyris' breakthrough technology platform, the new joint venture, Amyris-Crystalsev Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Biocombustiveis Ltda, will work with Brazilian sugarcane mills and fuel producers to quickly scale production of the Amyris renewable diesel fuel. Amyris will hold the majority stake in the Amyris-Crystalsev venture, and Crystalsev will hold the remaining stake and contribute commercialization expertise. " ...

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Category: Bioenergy

... "This program enables clients to measure their energy usage while earning energy efficiency certificates for reducing the energy used to run their data centers. The certificates earned -- based on energy use reduction verified by a certified third-party -- provide a way for businesses to attain a certified measurement of their energy use reduction, a key, emerging business metric. The certificates can be traded for cash on the growing energy efficiency certificate market or otherwise retained to demonstrate reductions in energy use and associated CO2 emissions. " ...

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Category: Energy Efficiency

How do you recycle old subway cars?  Many have already been re purposed into artificial reefs off the coasts of NY and NY.

NY City's MTA  " ... made more than 1,200 “retired “Red Bird” subway cars available to Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, Delaware and New Jersey.  [for] a new purpose-- to help form artificial reefs and become habitats for marine life. After we stripped the subway cars of components that float (oils, solids, etc.) and decompose, NYC Transit steam cleaned the cars, which were loaded on barges and “buried” at sea."

Via:  NYC MTA    Link

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Category: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

System tracks your travel bookings and helps you understand your carbon impact.  ... 

...   "The Travelport Carbon Tracker utilises a graphical interface and task-orientated approach that enables users to rapidly calculate and compare accurate CO2 analyses for each itinerary and obtain information on carbon emissions across multiple travel types (air, rail and car). "   ...

Via Travelport: Carbon Tracker

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Category: Carbon Footprint

One of the initatives of IBM's Project Big Green is to look for ways to resuce its' own energy needs and those of its clients.

"GIB-Services today announced a new energy efficient "green" data center ... will offer a first-of-its-kind energy model where a direct heat exchange will take place between the data center and a public swimming pool in the town."

"Located in Uitikon, Switzerland, ... is expected to create 2,800 MWh of wasted heat per year ... at full capacity -- the same amount of energy needed to supply up to 80 houses with heating and warm water for one year...."

"... Through reclaiming the heat, approximately 130 tons of carbon emissions can be saved. This corresponds to the carbon dioxide discharge of mid-size cars driving 500,000 miles."

Via:  IBM  Link

Continue reading "Excess Data Center Heat Heats Pool" »

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Category: Energy Innovation

California based Bio Solar has a different slant on making solar cells ... rather than focusing on improving the efficiency they focus on reducing the cost and using non petroleum based materials.

Read on for more ... >>> 

" ...developed a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that will reduce the cost per watt of solar cells. ... is the first company to introduce a new dimension of cost reduction by replacing petroleum-based plastic solar cell components with durable bio-based components."

"... BioSolar materials can be used directly in conventional manufacturing systems, such as injection molding and thin-film roll-to-roll, to create superstrate layer, substrate layer, backsheet as well as module and panel components."

" ... using crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon or other solar technologies, BioSolar can help reduce the cost per watt through the use of its lower cost bio-based materials."

"By removing petroleum from solar cells, BioSolar makes solar energy a true green source of energy."

Via:  Bio Solar   Link

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Category: Solar

"Officals from Major League Baseball, the ... (EPA), the ... (NRDC), Green-e Energy and WindStreet Energy, ... joined the Phillies in announcing a major initiative at Citizens Bank Park to aid in the efforts for a cleaner environment."

" To offset the carbon footprint created ... the Phillies have purchased 20 million kilowatt-hours of Green-e Energy Certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). According to the EPA, this is the largest single purchase of 100% renewable energy in professional sports and is equivalent to the planting of 100,000 trees."

"The Phillies are the first Major League Baseball team to join the EPA's Green Power Partnership (GPP) program, ... According to the EPA, the team is the third largest Green Power Partner in Philadelphia and seventh largest Green Power Partner in Pennsylvania."

Via:  PhiladelphiaPhillies.com  Link 

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Category: Green Power

Nokia has an intersting "concept" phone that incorporates some green thinking ...

Read on for more >>>

" ... two parts – a wearable sensor unit which can sense and analyze your environment, health, and local weather conditions, and a dedicated mobile phone. "

"... sensor ... made from solar cells that provide power to the sensors. ..."

" ...phone and the sensor unit will be as compact as possible to minimize material use, and those materials used in the design will be renewable and/or reclaimed. Technologies used inside the phone and sensor unit will also help save energy."

Via:  Nokia   Link

Continue reading "Nokia Eco Sensor Concept Phone -- Looking Green!" »

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Category: Green Technology

... "The course addressed energy sources that provide alternatives to fossil fuels. The instruction also focused on the technology basis of alternative energy methods and their practicality, potential for widespread use and economic effectiveness. The class covered energy technologies such as photovoltaics, solar thermal, wind energy, geothermal and thermal gradient sources, biomass and synthetic fuels, hydroelectric, wave and tidal energy, and nuclear energy. " ...

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Category: Education

RecycleBank helps communites increase participation in their recycling programs via incentives.  The incentives take the form of awards that can be used at participaing local stores.
 

"Cherry Hill [NJ] was looking for a cost-effective way to reduce waste and curb rising landfill fees, and double ... its existing recycling program. By offering a reward-based initiative and streamlining recycling efforts, RecycleBank makes it easy for citizens to participate in the program. "


"... RecycleBank ... provides communities with a cost-effective and environmentally conscious solution to the rising cost of waste collection."

"RecycleBank ... [provides] ... tools to quickly and easily measure the amount of material each home recycles. ... then converted into RecycleBank reward dollars that can be used with hundreds of local and national reward partners. ..."

Via:  Recycle Bank   Link

Via:  Cherry Hill, NJ  Link

Continue reading "Recycle Bank and Cherry Hill, NJ: Increasing Recycling Rates" »

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Category: Recycle

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Category: Solar

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Category: Green Building

Roofscapes, Inc. is " ... an engineering firm dedicated to developing the most elegant and efficient performance-based green roofs. ..."  Roofscapes is in Germantown, Pa (greater Philadelphia, Pa).

" ... 2” thick ...vegetated cover was selected to complement the other sustainable development technologies in this project. ... was required to be very thin ... Runoff from the green roof is channeled into the rain garden below on the ground. ..."
 

Via:  Roofscapes  Link

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Category: Green Roof

... "Since its introduction in 2005, Tide Coldwater has been used by more than seven million households in the U.S. If every U.S. household used cold water, the energy savings in the U.S. would be 70 to 90 billion kilowatt hours per year. That's three percent of total household energy consumption, or up to 29 million tons of carbon dioxide per year not released into the environment - 6% of the Kyoto target for the U.S. " ...

Via Procter and Gamble: 2007 Annual Report (PDF)

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Category: Green Cleaning Products

... "Because they are white, elastomeric coatings reflect more sunlight before it becomes heat. Traditional flat black roof coatings, such as asphalt, absorb sunlight and radiate heat. These elastomeric coatings also protect against cracking because they themselves expand and contract as part of the roofing material. The result is a cooler and longer-lasting roof, lower ambient air temperatures and energy savings for the entire building. " ...

Continue reading "Cool Roof Coatings" »

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Category: Energy Conservation

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Category: Green-Data-Center

Looking for something  green items that can make a difference or just to have fun with ... ?

Check out the items on Terra Pass ...

Want to know how much energy an item uses ... check out "Kill A Watt EZ" ...

How about "Greenopoly" where you can trade carbon credits ...

Or an Wind Up MP3 player ...

Via:  Terrapass   Link

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Category: Green Lifestyle

Iqua has created and marketed the first Solar powered Bluetooth Headset.

" ... first solar-powered Bluetooth headset in the world. ... has got a photovoltaic cell that uses any available light - outdoors and indoors - to charge itself and extend the operation times of the headset ..."

" ... Iqua SUN to be selected as an “Innovations 2008 Design and Engineering Award” honoree in the Wireless Handsets Accessories product category. ..."

Via:  Iqua.com   Link 

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Category: Solar

The newly opened ACME in Concordville, PA is GREEN. 

How GREEN?  Very Green !!

Read on for more >>>>

" ... What makes this supermarket so special? LEED registration and hopefully soon - certification!"

... Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ... promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality."..."

The complete listing of all the GREEN work / thought / materials / concepts that went into this building go on and on but here are some of the items ...

Via:   Dever Architects   Link

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Category: Green Building

... "Several U.S. States are using recycling bins with embedded RFID chips. Bins are scanned and weighed right at the curb. An RFID enabled system, tallies credits for households that are above average for recycling. The system then issues recycle dollars that can be used at participating businesses for discounts. " ...

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Category: Green Technology

... "The University now buys 10 percent of its electrical power from renewable sources - mostly wind and biogas energy - through the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation's NatureWise program. Mary Ann Cofrin Hall on campus also uses solar power to generate electricity for the building and incorporates other energy-saving technologies. Special roofing materials and a thin film of photovoltaic material in the glass of the Wintergarden Atrium produce the electricity. " ...

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Category: Wisconsin