Green Technology

Orange will live test its sound powered charging device at the Glastonbury music festival this year.  This eco-charging device is built into a Tshirt and uses sound at 80dB or higher to generate up to 6 watt hours for charging mobile devices.  …

…   “Following months of planning and development, the prototype, named the Orange Sound Charge has been produced in conjunction with renewable energy experts at GotWind.

The eco charging device uses an existing technology in a revolutionary way; by reversing the use of a product called Piezoelectric film, allowing people to charge their mobile phones whilst enjoying their favourite headline act at Glastonbury.”   …

Via Orange: Sound charging device.

GotWind.

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Ever wonder what to do with corks after you finish that bottle of wine?  How about recycling them ?  Whole Foods and Cork ReHarvest has partnered to set up recycling boxes at Whole Foods MArkets.

" ... make it easy ... to properly dispose of cork at all of our 292 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. ... "

Did you know that cork production is environmentally friendly as trees are not cut but the bark (cork) is harvested approx every 10 years from trees that can live for 300 years.

What about the environmental impact of cork recycling - the energy and cost to ship cork back for processing?  The cork is returned on the same trucks that deliver so there is a close to ZERO net carbon footprint.  So the cork recycling loop is close to impact free.

Depending on the location the corks are used to make floor tiles or other products.

Via:  Whole Foods Market  LINK

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Ecotricity is a green UK energy supplier. 

They have been bundling wind turbines and selling the electricity produced since 1996.  They are also educating and raising peoples awareness of the impact they can have on the environment by choosing a lower carbon generating supplier.

Click HERE to see the current stats on the UK electric grid ... power generated by (in order) fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewable energy sources as well as the Grams of Co2 / KWh.

On 4/28/2011 (Thu 28/04/11 @ 12:05 BST) the stats were:

Fossil:          72.4 %
Nuclear:       22.9 %
Renewable:    4.7 %

CO2 / KWh:   415 g CO2 / KWh

How other UK Energy Companies Compare LINK

Via: ecotricity LINK

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Vestas announced their V164-7.0 - the rotor has a diameter of 164 meters and the turbine produces 7 MW of power.  This huge turbine is " ... specifically designed for the roughest North Sea conditions ..." 

" ... designed ... to provide the highest energy capture and the highest reliability in this rough and challenging environment."

Veatas has an installed base of 580 offshore turbines - equal to 43 % of all offshore turbines worldwide.

For a perspective on this huge turbine check out this video …

Via: VESTAS  LINK

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Smith Electric Trucks has approx. 80 years (in the UK) building electric vehicles and has US Operations that have delivered electric trucks to companies such as Staples, Frito-Lay and AT&T.

Electric Vehicles produce no smog in operation and are very low cost to operate.  They have a range of up to 100 miles and are great for city use. 

Via:  Smith Electric Smith Electric Vehicles

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Britain is set to open the world's largest wind farm off Kent (UK) on the English Chanel.  This facility will comprise 100 wind turbines each 300 ft tall; enough to power 200,000 homes.

" ... generate more energy from offshore wind than the rest of the planet put together ..."’s biggest ocean wind farm off Kent"

" ...  energy generated from offshore wind in the UK ... to 1,314MW, compared to 1,100MW in the whole of the rest of the world."

The farm was built by Swedish energy giant Vattenfall.

WOW !!

Via:  Telegraph  LINK

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 Cement manufacturing is an energy intensive process and typically generates LOTS of CO2.  It is estimated that cement manufacture produces 5% of global CO2 !

The challenge for the developing world (and the developed world) is how to make cement and not make so much CO2.

 "... carbon negative cement ... based on a non-carbonate raw material, magnesium silicate, and uses a relatively low temperature production process. ... more CO₂ is absorbed during production than ...emitted"

Substituting a ton of Novacem in place of standard cement would avoid 852 kg of CO2 emissions.

Novacem is based in the UK.

Via:  Novacem  LINK

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UK solar farm is planned for installation near wind power installation.  …

…   “The new plant will consist of solar panels arranged on a surface of about 4.7 hectares, and its total capacity will be 1 MW … ”   …

Via Reve: UK Solar Farm Project.

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H-P's newest data center in Wynyard England is cooled ENTIRELY by wind blowing off the nearby North Sea.  The North Sea is cold and so are its winds. It is H-P's greenest data center yet ...

The " ... new 360,00 sq. ft. Wynyard center is 40 percent more energy-efficient than conventional data centers ..."

" ... Traditional data centers use thousands of megawatt hours per year ... if they were classed as a separate industry, they would be the sixth-largest user of electricity ... "

 Other energy saving / carbon saving features of the Wynyard data center are: " ... harvesting rainwater ... to maintain proper humidity levels in the air that’s brought in from outside ... light-colored server racks because they reflect light, allowing for 40 percent less lighting to be installed compared to using black cabinets."

"HP had previously announced that it plans to reduce the combined energy consumption of operations and products by 25 percent below 2005 levels by 2010."

Via:  SmartPlanet LINK

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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

Posted by Green Dude at 04:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The renewable heat incentive, which would be the first of its kind anywhere in the world, is to come into effect in April 2011 and guarantees payments for those who install technologies such as ground source heat pumps, biomass boilers and air source heat pumps. " ...

Continue reading "UK Renewable Energy Incentives" »

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" ... Prince Charles, the U.K.'s version of Al Gore, has taken another step in a green direction: his 1970 Aston Martin DB6 has been converted to run entirely on bioethanol ... fuel ... made from a white wine produced near the prince's Highgrove Estate, itself a showcase for organic farming ..."

" ... goal of reducing emissions from his planes, trains, and automobiles 25% by 2018 ... European Union limits annual wine production, so any leftovers from England's current vintage can be converted to bioethanol by Green Fuels Ltd.... company has previously provided bioethanol to power the royal train. The prince's other vehicles, which include a smattering of Jaguars, a Range Rover, and an Audi, have been converted to run on bioethanol made from cooking oil...."

Via: RiverWired LINK

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"If you want ... ‘green’ biodiesel, but don’t want to produce it yourself, you can buy high quality fuel from one of our Green Fuels approved dealers nationwide ...you will always save money compared with standard garage fuels ... "

"Biodiesel is a clean-burning biofuel produced from domestic renewable resources such as used cooking oil, oil seed crops such as rapeseed, or unused vegetable oil. It is biodegradeable, non-toxic and carbon neutral ... has 80% lower emissions than mineral diesel, it dramatically reduces pollution. It is inexpensive and easy to produce at home and is safe to use in any diesel vehicle without any modifications to your engine."

" ... two models in the Fuelpod range by Green Fuels - the safest way to produce high quality biodiesel at home. Both are supplied as complete systems and have minimal operating costs, with exceptionally low electricity consumption."

Via: Green Fuels Ltd. LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 03:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Good Energy is a British " ... independent renewable energy company based in Wiltshire. ... started by a group of people ... committed to addressing climate change."

" ... Mission ... is to fight climate change by EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS to make a difference, ... giving them practical ways to make positive changes in their attitude towards energy, and the way they use it ... switching to pure 100% renewable electricity ... improving their energy efficiency ... generating their own renewable energy, and ... playing a part in the campaign for

renewable energy in the UK"

Via: GoodEnergy LINK

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... "He called for Britain to make smart investments through greater technology prioritisation and to move away from technology neutrality. This new approach, outlined in a new report, means public support will be focused on emerging low carbon technologies and industries that will have the maximum impact on cutting carbon and generating UK economic benefit. " ...

Continue reading "Shift to Low Carbon Technology in UK" »

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Tesla Motors announced plans to build its second car model, the Moedl S (no doubt for Sedan)  in California.  Their first model, a two seat roadster, made headlines for amazing performance from an all electric car.

" ... Tesla ... plans to  build a $250 million facility to manufacture a zero-emission luxury sedan in the heart of Silicon Valley. ... The factory – expected to achieve gold certification from U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ..."

"Model S is Tesla’s zero-emission, five-passenger luxury sedan powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. ... expected to ... get about 240 miles per charge with exceptional performance. The first sedans will likely roll off the assembly line in late 2010."

Via:  Tesla Motors  Link

Continue reading "Tesla Motors to build All Electric Sports Sedan" »

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Everyone (most everyone reading this blog?) washes clothes.  Modern washers are a great time saver but consume a lot of water ... especially if you do several loads per week.

Imagine washing clothes with a cup of water.  Impossible?  Read on for more ...

" ... Xeros, a Leeds University spin-off, is currently commercializing a washing machine which can clean clothes using just a cup of water."

" ... use of half-centimeter plastic chips to do the actual cleaning. The machine heats what little water (mixed with detergent) is used to dissolve the dirt which is then absorbed by the plastic chips. These chips, ... 44 pounds per cycle, can be reused within a six month timeframe. ... able to remove a variety of everyday dirt such as coffee and lipstick stains."

" ... since the machine only uses a cup of water per kilogram of laundry, the clothes come up almost dry, eliminating the necessity to tumble dry. The company has already received a $1 million funding and expect to put washing machines out in the market by 2009 at the earliest."

Via:  Good Clean Tech   Link

Continue reading "Xeros: Ultra Low Water Washing Machine" »

Posted by Green Dude at 05:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are some links for more information about Wind Energy.  These came from Good Energy, a UK based 100% renewable energy provider.

Here is a wind energy fact from Good Energy (might only apply to a typical household in the UK but significant nonetheless ... "A typical 850KW turbine ... could provide the amount of power used by 500 homes or to boil 28 million pints of water or run a computer for 7 million hours - that's 810 years."

www.good-energy.co.uk

www.sec.eu.com

www.bwea.com

www.embracewind.com

www.yes2wind.com

www.westmill.coop

www.scottishrenewables.com

www.windpower.org

www.fi.edu

Via:  Good Energy  Link

Posted by Green Dude at 06:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Good Energy is a provider of various sources of GREEN energy from all over Britain  They make it easy for the homeowner or business to lower their impact on the environment by cutting CO2 emissions from power generation.

All their energy " ... comes from wind, small scale hydro and solar power generators from all over Britain. ... either small or medium sized sites  ... Home Generation scheme supports the smaller generator and home owner.

" ...we offer both our supply and purchasing products. We are always on the lookout for new ways we can help you reduce your impact on climate change."

Formed in 1999 they currently serve approx. 24,0000 customers.

Their current power mix is " ...  generators in Cornwall, Devon, Cumbria, the Midlands, North Wales and Scotland.... approximately 92% wind power, 7% small hydro and 1% solar. We also own our own wind farm at Delabole in Cornwall."

Via:  Good Energy  Link

Continue reading "Good Energy - 100% Green Energy for Britian" »

Posted by Green Dude at 05:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While probably not a product that all GREENTECHNOLOG readers might use ... there are lots of clay target shooters out there -- including me!  Now we can be a greener clay target shooters ...

" ... the White Flyer Bio™ clay. ... mark a total departure from traditional clay making techniques ...formula is totally non-toxic and biodegradable on repeated contact with water. ... degradation period takes between 1 and 2 years, but the clays won't degrade under normal storage conditions ... fluorescent paint is water based "

Via:  CCI.com Link

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... "On a personalised page, you can track your progress, update your carbon-reducing actions and see a Google Map featuring the footprints and actions of everyone taking part. " ...

Continue reading "Individual Actions Accumulate to Improve Overall Carbon Footprint" »

Posted by Green Tech at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"CAMBRIDGE, MASS. & WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 31, 2007) — Zipcar and Flexcar,  ... announced today the companies will merge. Together t ... represent an international network ... The combined company will operate under the Zipcar brand and be headquartered in Cambridge, MA, ..."

"Zipcar and Flexcar currently operate car sharing programs,  ... access to a diverse fleet of vehicles conveniently located throughout major metropolitan areas.... A simple hourly or daily fee covers gas, insurance, maintenance, parking and 24-7 emergency service.

“Zipcar currently operates in New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto and London while Flexcar operates in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. Both ... provide car sharing on college campuses ...".

"...member benefits will include:"

Via:  Zipcar.com   Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Marine Current Turbines Ltd (MCT) is developing radically new technology, backed by the UK government, for exploiting tidal currents for large-scale power generation. We do not have any commercially available products at present, but we aim to achieve this by 2007-8."

"The basic requirements for cost-effective power generation from tidal streams using MCT's technology are a mean spring peak velocity exceeding about 2.25 to 2.5m/s (4.5 to 5 knots) with a depth of water of 20 to 30m - the red spots on the map (right) show some of the locations meeting these criteria around the UK and northern France."

"Our technology represents a novel method for generating electricity from a huge energy resource in the sea. ... even rarer if the technology, as in this case:-"

• "produces no pollution and has negligible environmental impact"

• "delivers energy to a predictable timetable"

• "has the potential to make a major contribution to future energy needs"

"... the relentless energy of marine currents has been obvious from the earliest days of seafaring, it is only now that ... this a technically feasible and economically viable possibility."

Via:  Marine Current Turbines   Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "new research project at Durham university in Britain aims to find cheaper and more accessible alternatives, focusing on developing thin-layer PV cells using materials such as copper indium diselenide and cadmium telluride. " ...

Via Gizmag: U.K. Solar Research

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First there were only paper bags.

Then it became "Paper or Plastic?"

Soon there may not be a question at all ...as I read newspapers, magazines and web articles I see more and more towns talking about becoming "plastic bag free".  Here is the story of perhaps the first European town to eliminate plastic bags.
>> Read on for more ...

"Shopkeepers in the Devon town of Modbury are claiming a European first, by being entirely free of plastic bags. ...  captured the imagination of communities across the UK who are now following suit."

"All 43 shopkeepers in Modbury are taking part in the initiative, ..."

"Rebecca Hosking was moved to tears as she filmed marine life off Hawaii ... brought it home for me was one day filming a turtle," she said. ...had a plastic bag in its mouth and was slowly dying, ...also filming albatross who were picking up plastic and feeding it to their chicks and we saw so many suffer a slow and painful death."

"When Rebecca, 33, returned home to Modbury, she set out on a mission to turn the town plastic-bag-free and managed to convince each and every trader to get on board."

 

"   ... Plymouth and South West Co-op ...donated re-usable, fairtrade cotton bags which were delivered to each of Modbury's 760 households in time for the plastic bag ban, which came in on 1 May 2007."

"Plastic bag amnesty bins are dotted around Modbury, and those collected will be put to good use - in being recycled for furniture made entirely out of plastic waste."

You can contact Rebecca via the Modbury Chamber of Trade website or by e-mailing her at: info@modburydevoninfo.co.uk

Via:  BBC.CO.UK   Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So ... you think you are doing all you can to be GREEN and help the environment?  Would you pass an AUDIT?  Would you want to?

Just in case you want to have someone check up on how good, environmentally, you are ... Read on:

Donnachadh McCarthy is an environmental auditor.  "Through his auditing company "3 Acorns Enviromental Tranformations" he provides an environmental auditing service to individuals, families and small businesses, assisting them to improve their environmental performance."

"... believes ... environmentalists should lead by example and so seeks as far as practical to live by the green principles which he promotes.
>> Thus his home was the first private home in London to export solar electricity from the roof of his home in Camberwell to London Electricity.
>> His hot water is heated by a solar water heating system powered by a solar pump.
>> His WC is supplied by a rain harvester.
>> He travels to work by cycle.
>> On the 24th of October 2005 he had a wind turbine installed on his home and became London Energy's first ever domestic wind electricity supplier."

An audit consists of a review of these areas with " ... assessment of current environmental practice and proposals for its improvement ..."

• "Energy Use"
• "Waste disposal/ Recycling"
• "Raw Material Use"
• "Purchasing Policies"
• "Management systems"
• "Employee Practice"
• "Water Use"
• "Transport"

For more information see McCarty's book "Saving the Planet without Costing the Earth "   Link 

Via:  3 Acorns Eco Auditing   Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

  Want to be green?
>>Yes
Know how to be green?
>>No

                                                    Need Help?
                                                    >> What is available?

In addition to numerous web sites and countless articles there is now personal coaching available.  Read on to learn more about the Carbon Coach ...

"I can help coach you toward a continual reduction of your carbon usage. ... shrunk my own carbon footprint significantly ... and I can steer you towards those actions that are the most effective, most practical and most rewarding in your situation."

" ...  as ... with sports or life coaches, having a friendly source of enlightenment and encouragement can help you to turn more of your intentions into actions."

" ... As a result of working with me, people tend to find joy in 'travelling light' and often regret not taking action earlier. People also find that the financial savings they make quickly cover the cost of my involvement, generating a very welcome financial and environmental win-win."

Via:  Carboncoach.com   Link

Posted by Green Dude at 05:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Virgin Air's Sir Richard Branson wants to become green by taking into account the energy use and corresponding carbon output from air travel.

"... we must rapidly wean ourselves off our dependence on coal and fossil fuels. Our generation has the knowledge and the financial resources and, as importantly, the willpower to do so."

from:  Richard Branson, Clinton Global Initiative, September 2006.

"Virgin Fuels has been created to invest in new products and technologies that will help reduce CO2 emissions and slow global warming. Our aim is to become a leading player in the global renewable energy sector."

To halp achieve this ... Virgin has stakes in 4 bio-fuels companies:

Cilion | California, USA

• "Formed in June 2006 to build and operate ethanol plants that will be cheaper and greener than standard corn to ethanol plants ...plans to build seven plants by 2009 with a total of 440 million gallons per year capacity"
  
  
  

VBV | A joint venture with Bioverda (wholly owned subsidiary of NTR)

• "Origination strategy for ethanol with five plants strategically located in the US mid-west ...future strategy to move into other geographies (other US, UK and Europe) and other sectors (such as bio-diesels)".
  
  

Ethanol Grain Processors | Tennessee, USA

"Ethanol Grain Processors LLC (EGP) has plans to construct a 100 million gallon per year corn-to-ethanol plant in Obion, Tennessee; construction to start Q1 2007".

Indiana Bio-Energy | Indiana, USA

• "Indiana Bio-Energy LLC (IBE) plans to construct a 100 million gallon per year facility"

Via:  Virgin Fuels.Com   Link 

Posted by Green Dude at 06:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "A breakdown of the products and services used daily by people over fifty was the basis for the carbon footprint. The data showed that 698 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are associated with consumption in more than 40 kinds of household expenditure categories in Britain. The researchers used age-specific expenditure data to calculate the carbon footprint for on various goods, like food and holidays abroad. A higher carbon footprint is caused by key factors, such as high car dependence and dining out. " ...

Via EU: European Research

Posted by Green Tech at 08:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "GBL and EKB have been awarded grant funding of GBP250,000 from the dti technology programme for collaborative R&D. This matched funding will enable GBL to speed up development of an advanced fermentation process for the production of butanol, a renewable liquid biofuel for transportation. " ...

Via Green Biologics: Grant funding awarded

Posted by Green Tech at 08:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)