TechPatio » Green Tech

Eco-cars video infographic & the all new Ford C-Max

Klaus — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:53:46 +0000

In this day and age, more and more people are being educated about the need to go green. All over the world, the human population is growing rapidly, but our natural resources are continuously getting used up, and the worst part is – they are not being replaced.

Many of us are aware of the fact that the car is one of the main problems that contribute to the world’s environmental pollution, yet even as the years go by, we don’t seem to do anything serious about it, until now.

Nowadays, thanks to eco technology, more and more people are getting curious about eco cars. Did you know that it would take 200 modern cars to produce the exact same emissions as that of the 1976 Ford Fiesta? With today’s technology and the development of eco cars (namely electric and hybrid cars), not only do we get to save Mother Earth, but we also get to enjoy many other benefits such as lesser fuel consumption, better mileage, and many more. You won’t absolutely get that from a conventional gasoline-powered car.

Below are several benefits of electric and hybrid cars over conventional gasoline-powered cars.

Hybrid Car Benefits:

Regenerative Braking – Energy is usually wasted during braking or when using engine brakes on a downhill slope. However, with the use of regenerative braking, all these wasted energy is converted back into electricity, thus recharging the battery.
Electric Motor Drive/Assist – Hybrid cars are usually equipped with a smaller combustion engine which means they have less power. To give the engine additional power during accelerating, passing, or hill climbing, the electric motor works in conjunction with the combustion engine.
Automatic Start-Stop Function – When the car stops, the engine shuts off. It restarts when the accelerator is pressed. This function prevents wasted energy from idling.

Electric Car Benefits:

Environmentally Friendly – Electric vehicles are practically free from any emissions. The only emission they might emit comes from the power plant that supplied the electricity to charge their batteries. However, if the electricity will come from solar-, hydro-, nuclear-, or wind-powered plants, then no air pollutants will be produced.
Energy Efficient – Electric motors are capable of converting most of the energy coming from the batteries to drive the wheels. Internal combustion engines on the other hand practically waste nearly 80% of the energy derived from the gasoline it burns.
Energy Dependence and Maintenance is Reduced – You will never have to go to a gas station since you can charge your car at home. Also, electric cars do not require maintenance such as emissions checks and oil changes that conventional gasoline-powered cars need.

As a matter of fact, any car you buy today will be absolutely greener than the one it replaces.

Why not take a look at the all-new Ford C-Max and learn about the ingenious innovations this new car has? Kindly visit their site at www.msnfordcmax.com for more information about the available features of the all-new Ford C-Max, and check out the eco cars infographic video below:

Solar Panels Projects Are Under Threat

Klaus — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:55:10 +0000

Solar Panel projects are being slashed according to government sources today, with government ministers stating that the commercial solar farms are benefitting from feed in traffics.

The government have also stated that they will be looking to take off in the region of £40million pounds from the yearly budgets or 10% from any projected costs of a solar panels / power / green scheme.

With this in mind, it will have a major effect on the future of the growth of green solutions.

Mr Barker said: “I want to drive an ambitious rollout of new green energy technologies in homes, communities and small businesses and the FIT scheme has a vital part to play in building a more decentralised energy economy.

“We have carefully considered the evidence that has been presented as part of the consultation and this has reinforced my conviction of the need to make changes as a matter of urgency.

“Without action the scheme would be overwhelmed.”

“The new tariffs will ensure a sustained growth path for the solar industry while protecting the money for householders, small businesses and communities and will also further encourage the uptake of green electricity from anaerobic digestion.”

Friends of the earth campaigner, Donna Hume commented: “This consultation has been an utter farce – Ministers have completely ignored warnings from community groups and investors about the devastating impact of slashing payments.”

“With mounting concern about the rising price of fossil fuels and the impact of global climate change the Government should be increasing financial support for clean, green energy – not cutting it.”

“Germany has given proper funding to its solar industry and consequently its fuel bills there are falling – but the UK is saddled with shrinking green ambition and soaring fuel bills.”

“Our schools, businesses and housing estates could become mini-power stations so we all play our part in the renewable energy revolution – but yet again the Treasury has stamped on the green shoots of a low-carbon future.”

What do you make of the funding cut? Were you thinking about installing solar panels into your home or business?

What effect will this have on green businesses such as Ploughcroft Solar?

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How to Shop for Green Technology

Guest Author — Sun, 01 May 2011 17:55:08 +0000

In a world where everyone must practice smart ecology, we’ve all become environmentalists. Learning how to shop for technology from our newest cell phone to home networking products that are eco-friendly is important. A few simple tips can make the process much simpler than you might imagine.

You can start your search for green technology online. Try the major search engines such as Bing, Google and Yahoo. Look for manufacturers of green technology and see what you can find.

Another source is online directories, especially those that are location specific. These are harder to locate, but they often include customer review which is an added benefit.

Green online discussion forums can offer a wealth of information. Just be sure that any you locate are visited by consumers more than by company reps. This will help you get a more objective opinion or recommendation.

Once you’ve located some prospects, be sure you choose a green supplier. Many corporate websites today contain information about their green philosophy. Research them before you buy to see where they stand on environmental issues.

Look for items made from recycled materials. This may include the packaging as well as the technology itself. HP, for instances, makes almost all of their packaging from recycled materials. You can also recycle yourself and add even more to your environmental savings.

Look for energy efficient products in order to reduce your energy consumption. Some products are designed to use less energy. Others, such as computers that power down after an inactive period, can be set to save electricity on a schedule. Look for both options when buying for the most significant energy savings.

Compare different products. While many computers or laptops look alike, there can be major differences in the impact of the company, or the product, on the environment. This goes along with researching vendors, but takes it a step further into the product line itself.

Choose Energy Star® compliant products whenever possible. You can tell which equipment is the most eco-friendly and provides the most energy savings by looking for this seal.

Search for products with longer lasting batteries. This means less recycling and more cost savings for you. Many batteries now use a newer technology that lasts several times longer than older versions. In addition to saving the landfill and your out of pocket replacement fees, these batters are also PVC-free which is an added value for the environment.

While the green movement is still in its infancy, and many companies and businesses have yet to climb on board, there are ways to purchase products that are more environmentally friendly. It make take a bit longer, and it may require additional time and effort on your part, but the rewards of a healthy ecology for yourself and your family is worth any added labor buying green might require.

Thanks to Brandon for submitting this guest article!

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Open Planet Ideas – Innovation by the people for the planet

Emily — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:52:17 +0000

Technology is deemed a very good thing for us. It makes our lives easier and better. That is why Open Planet Ideas, in conjunction with Sony and WWF, is inviting you to help create a clean and green environment for the present and future generations with the use of existing technologies. If you have a great idea in mind, then by all means join the challenge! View the gist of the challenge here or you could also click here for more details.

All you have to do is submit an article about your concept or you can further build on a previous concept. A panel will review all the concepts and decide which is the best one for development.

A Concept Example

Solar-powered Laptop Battery Recharger (view on OPI website)

There are many reasons why people like to use the Internet. Such reasons may be that they like to use social media sites to connect with others or they use it simply for work. Nowadays, more and more people, especially those belonging to the younger generation, prefer laptops over desktop computers because of its portability. However, many laptop users who are always on the go are very prone to having low battery problems. The most common solution for this kind of problem is simply to buy another battery pack. However, there are two downsides to this: If both batteries run out while you’re still outside, then you can no longer use your laptop at that point. Another thing to point out is that not all of us can afford to buy another battery pack as laptop batteries can be very expensive.

How about being able to easily charge your laptop battery by simply giving it some sunshine? My concept is simply putting a dye-sensitized solar cell at the top cover of the laptop. Since the dye-sensitized solar cells are claimed to be more environmentally friendly and less expensive than traditional silicon solar cells, putting it on a laptop should not make its price skyrocket. Also, these dye-sensitized solar cells can appear in a variety of colors and shapes and they are also ultra-thin, so I think they are a perfect addition for laptops and people on the go.

Which technology are you repurposing?

The technology is already available – a Dye Sensitized Solar Cell. It is built-in on the lid of the laptop with an internal connection to the battery pack. With this kind of technology, laptop users who are out often do not have to worry anymore about running out on their batteries. When they do run out, they just need to find some sunlight. Even a little is good enough as dye sensitized solar cells can still work under low light conditions.

What kind of behavioural change does this require, if any?

Individual behavioural change

Community driven behavioural change

What is this concept missing?

A few minor changes or enhancements could be done to make the dye sensitized solar cell compatible with laptops. Hopefully this can become real in the future.

Before you start off with your awesome idea to help save the planet, feel free to go see some of Sony’s current technologies that you can use as your building blocks for your concept. Some examples include the wireless microphone, GPS, Sweep Panorama, Remote Video Monitoring, and so on. You do not necessarily have to use one of these technologies for your concept, but they are there to help inspire you.

What’s in it for you? The great news is that Sony will invest engineering and R&D resources to develop the idea into a proof of concept stage, but they will not commercialize or make any profit out of it. Instead, the results will be released to the public and can be used by other groups for the good of the environment. Isn’t that awesome?

Go ahead – your awesome idea might be the chosen one. Click here to find out more about Open Planet Ideas.

Sponsored Post

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Facebook Doubles Size of Data Center in Oregon

Klaus — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:22:55 +0000

Facebook first told us about their plans for building a data center in Oregon back in January this year, a data center more than 13,000 square meters big. They have now decided to add another 14,000 square meters to it, according to IDG News Service.

First part of the construction is scheduled to be finished in the beginning of next year and the second part to be finished in the beginning of 2012.

Facebook says the construction work will provide 150-200 workplaces and the actual data center will provide 35 permanent workplaces.

Maybe the reason for the expansion is the growth of users Facebook are having? Back when the data center was announced they had around 400 million users – and now they’re up to 500 million users. Or maybe they need more processing power for future features such as Questions?

Greenpeace is not happy about the expansion though, saying that the data center will primarily receive electricity from coal based power plants. Facebook picked Oregon because of its dry and chill climate. IDG News Service also reports that, according to Facebook, this new data center will be the most energy efficient data center in the world.

While a 28,000′ish square meter certainly is a big data center, it’s not as big as the 65,000 square meter data center that Microsoft recently opened up near Chicago. Apple is also building a big data center, 45,000 square meters big, in North Carolina. Companies are really gearing up for more cloud computing in the feature – and here’s the top 9 reasons why cloud computing is the future of software.
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Cardboard Computer Goes Into Production

Klaus — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:35:33 +0000

Recompute has created a computer where the casing is made out of cardboard. The company announced on their Twitter recently that the cardboard computer can be ordered already now, even though expected delivery and price is not yet official.

Apparently, by making the computer casing out of cardboard, they reduce the amount of material not too suitable for recycling. Just remember to throw (some of) your computer in the right recycling bin when you throw it out…

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Internet Explorer 8 Extends Laptop Battery Life

Klaus — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:23:55 +0000

Who would have thought, there’s actually something that Internet Explorer 8 does better than the other browsers

When it comes to battery life on your laptop, surfing with Internet Explorer 8 is likely to provide you with 8% more minutes for surfing than if using Firefox 3.5.2. Safari 4 in Windows is the worst combination giving only 184 minutes of surf time in the tests done by Anandtech where Internet Explorer 8 comes in at 227 minutes.

Firefox with the AdBlock plugin installed will come close to IE8, with 222 minutes, ahead of Chrome and Opera 9.64. Take away AdBlock and Firefox goes below both Chrome and Opera.

The conclusion by Anandtech seems to be that Internet Explorer 8 looks to be a good balance of features, performance and battery life.

I, for one, are not going to start using Internet Explorer to get more browsing time for the following reasons:

I rarely use the battery in my laptop anyway. Which reminds me, I should probably soon calibrate my battery.
I’m too addicted to all my Firefox add-ons.
I’m on a Mac, so Internet Explorer 8 is not the best choice of browser for me.

What about you, would you consider switching to Internet Explorer 8 in order to save more power or what browser are you currently using & why? Leave a comment below!
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Fujitsu: Laptops Not Necessarily Greener Than Desktops

Klaus — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:03:28 +0000

Several elements can cause laptops to take a greater toll on the environment than desktop computers. Especially since the laptop computers with small power consumption has convinced many that laptops are “greener”, compared to desktop computers.

But looking at the total impact on the environment, it’s not so certain that a laptop is actually greener than a desktop, according to Version2.dk.

Steen Green Beck, product and marketing manager from Fujitsu Denmark, has done some calculations and says: “There is, for example, less room for cooling in a laptop, meaning that more chemicals and flame retardants are used in laptops. Also the old LCD panels used to be used in laptops, was difficult to recycle.”

However, there’s still an obvious environmental benefit of a laptop, if it means that an employee both can use it in the office and at home, thereby reducing the total number of computers.

A few of the downsides are the fact that laptops are usually replaced more quickly and often difficult to recycle the materials used in them. Also if the laptop is actually used as a desktop, with a connected external monitor, keyboard, mouse and maybe even an external hard drive, it’s total power consumption may very well be equivalent to a desktop PC.
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Greenpeace: Nintendo Worst, Nokia Best

Klaus — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:05:32 +0000

Once again we find Nintendo at rock bottom in the yearly Top 20 chart from Greenpeace, showing the some of the biggest makers of consumer electronics.

Nintendo scores 1.4 points which is 0.4 points more than last year. The reason for Nintendo still being placed last is due to their use of PVC, poor recycling, high power consumption and increased greenhouse gas emissions, despite a commitment to cut CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gasses by 2% over each previous year.

Along with Nintendo in the poor end of the chart we also find Lenovo, Microsoft and Fujitso.

Little further up, but still in the red’ish zone, we have Acer, Apple, Dell, Motorola etc.

The high-scorers, the winners you might say, is Nokia once again. They stay in 1st place with the same score of 7.5 points just like they did last year. Nokia scores very well on toxic chemical issues due to putting out new models free of PVC since the end of 2005 and aiming for all models to be free of brominated and chlorinated compounds from the start of 2010.

Fancy reading the entire Greenpeace report for yourself? Click here!
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Kinesis K3 Solar/Wind Power Portable Charger

Klaus — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:37:52 +0000

Don’t you just hate being stuck out in the woods without any power and your iPhone is about to run empty?

Get yourself a K3 from Kinesis Industries!

This gadget can charge your cell phone, MP3 player etc., either by solar or wind power. The K3 is somewhat waterproof but otherwise heavy duty. It will provide 30 minutes of talk time or 300 minutes of music after one hour.

When full, it can charge a cellphone about 5 times and an iPod or similar about 10 times.

It has USB port built-in and comes with various tips and an inside space for storing them. If you need additional tips (converters), you can probably find them online at $10-$15 each.

I seem to recall a price of around $100 for the K3 itself, but I’m not sure though.

The Kinesis K3 should already be available, but probably not in all countries.

For more information, visit Kinesis Industries.
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