Posts in Green Tech

Some scary water stats from an expert

Michael Kanellos | Apr 23, 2008

How much water does it take to make a pair of leather shoes? 8,000 liters.

That's from Hans Enggrob, head of innovation at the DHI Water Group, a research and consulting firm, speaking at the Nordic Green conference taking place this week at SRI International's offices.

It takes 2,000 liters to make a cotton T-shirt, 2,400 liters to make a hamburger, and 1,200 liters to produce a gallon of ethanol, he said.

But beer drinkers should rejoice. It only takes 75l for a glass of beer and 140l for a cup of coffee, he added. Much of the water in these products goes toward irrigating crops used to make these products.

Enggrob, like many others, points out that the world is facing a pending water crisis. Several startups concentrating on water purification and desalination have received funding in recent years and large giants such as General Motors have put more emphasis on water. Still, demand is growing faster than supply. China, Australia, and several African nations are already grappling with water shortages. In the US, some believe Lake Mead could run dry by 2021.
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Harnessing brainwaves with solar power

Mike Yamamoto | Apr 22, 2008

With all the development of alternative energy today, it was bound to come to this: Introducing solar-powered brainwaves.

Well, not exactly. But this electroencephalogram device does use sunlight as well as body heat as a power source for a variety of functions, which researchers hope will include everything from playing video games to monitoring hospital patients, according to Dvice. The lightweight headset, developed by Belgian scientists at the Interuniversity Microelectronics Center, tracks electrical impulses generated by thought or action.

There are many other systems in development to monitor brainwaves in a similar fashion, but this one is focused on portability because no one, especially gamers, wants to be tied down while exercising their telepathic rights. New Scientist says an earlier prototype relied on natural heat from the head alone but sometimes ran out of power--which could be unfortunate on any number of levels, not to mention embarrassing. But no matter what, it's got to be an improvement over stationary gaming headgear we've seen.

Via Crave CNET

Filed under: Future Tech, Green Tech
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Cool your house with chemical reactions

Michael Kanellos | Apr 22, 2008

Solid, meet liquid.

Acvio, a company out of Finland showcasing its technology at the Nordic Green conference this week at SRI International in Menlo Park, says it has come up with an air conditioning system that consumes 60 percent to 70 percent less power than conventional systems.

The energy savings comes because Acvio's system doesn't require an air compressor to make cool air, the traditional engine inside air conditioners. The system relies upon the energy released when a solid becomes a liquid. It works like this: Warm air from the outside is collected and funneled toward a solid. The heat melts the solid and the melting process takes heat out of the air. That cooler air is then cycled inside to cool down the inside of a home or office. You can also use it in server rooms. Half the electricity in today's data centers gets used to power the air conditioners. (And you thought it was to run the machines in the snack room.)

"Instead of a compressor, we use hot and humid air," said CEO Kari Moilala, during a meeting. "The energy is taken out of hot air."

Acvio's system does require fans, but these can be run by solar panels, Moilala said.

The system can also be used to heat a building by running the process in reverse, but it works better as an air conditioner.

Moilala wouldn't say what the material is that goes from solid to liquid, but it isn't water. A few U.S. companies like Ice Energy are cooling buildings by converting ice to water.

Heat exchange systems--those that shuttle heat and cold back and forth like this-- have been around for a while but are improving in the face of increasing electricity prices. Another one to check out is Hallowell International, which has an air conditioner that also works as a heater in cooler climates.

Via CNET News blogs

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