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Yearly Archives: 2009
Passivhaus: German-Style Superefficient and Superinsulated Home
Passivhaus is a German concept of a home that needs very little heating or cooling, because it is so well insulated that it could basically be built on martian surface. There are more then 20,000 of these Passivhaus homes worldwide, many of them being buildings, kindergartens and office spaces.
$4,500 WindTronics Ultra-Efficient Low Speed Wind Turbine Available This Fall
Using big things to create electricity is generally good - but not always. Big things tend to be inefficient, hard to handle and to install. Wind turbines are just the case of this example - if they are too big, they are too noisy and insensitive to slow winds - that leads to inefficiency in all related aspects.
Solar-Powered System Extracts Potable Water from Air
For many people from urban areas the access to potable water is very low. To combat the water crisis, scientists had to design systems that can help provide clean drinking water from something that is omnipresent.
Researchers to Develop Nanomotors Powered by Light
In short time, researchers at the University of Florida will develop nano-robots that can do everything from surgery to cleaning up toxic waste.
Solar-Powered Electric "Bluecar" from Pininfarina
From Spring 2009, French battery/supercapacitor manufacturer Bolloré and Italian car designer Pininfarina have finally reached the production line with their five-door hatchback electric Bluecar, and have started accepting online orders for it.
The Sustainer: Solution to Produce Electricity and Fuel in Remote Rural Areas
The Solarix company found a new solution to produce electricity and fuel in remote rural areas.
Lithium-Sulfur Batteries With 5-10 Times Increased Capacity
Even if lithium-ion batteries are more known on the market and considered the most reliable, cheap and safe to use, lithium-sulfur batteries are catching up fast. There were several problems reported to the lithium-sulfur batteries but they will be solved in the close future as the capacity of the lithium-sulfur batteries is several times the one of the lithium-ion.
Chunlei Guo's Metal Pushing Water Uphill Without Extra Energy
Chunlei Guo, a researcher from the University of Rochester, along with a team of scientists, have created a slab of metal that can push water uphill, defying gravity, by using the capillary effect. It's the same effect that happens when you put a piece of fabric in a wine glass, for example, and hold it with your hand.
Innovative Biogas-Powered CHP Network to be Installed in German Town
Lünen, a North Western German town is about to give an example of distributed recycled energy network, by installing a biogas plant to supply 30 to 40% of its energy needs (including heat).
IDT's Solar Powered TFT Proves Itself Cheaper and Greener
Integrated Digital Technologies Inc wants to start production of TFT displays that have solar cells embedded in them. The panels will be called "iScreen", i coming from Interactive.
