It's not the Prius, it's not the Volt, it's not any hybrid car, but a turbocharged diesel one: a 1.2-liter Skoda Fabia. Austrian hypermiler Gerhard Plattner has just proved that an ordinary diesel car can go 2,000 kilometers (1,242.7 miles) with just one 45-liter fuel tank, reaching an astonishing 127.9 miles per gallon.
It may sound a little odd, but this kind of fuel â€Ã¢â‚¬Å“ the biodiesel - is actually very efficient. Instead of letting it go to the landfill or the compost, the fuel firm Greenenergy will take over the used cooking oils from pasties, pies and crisps, purify it and then blend it with diesel.
As most of you probably know, wind turbines are all positioned towards the direction of the wind, and it's obviously why. But what happens to the surfaces over which the wind flows in all directions, almost uncontrollably, like on a of a building's high rooftop?
Google usually handles internet searches, advertising and other high-tech stuff, but it looks like they've recently involved in various automotive projects, like the one Ford is going to use for predicting the user's driving behavior and adapting the power needed for that particular driving style and road.
Thermoelectric devices transform waste heat into electricity and can one day provide increased efficiency for everything from small gadgets to power plants. Scott Hunter, working at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) hopes his new heat-recovering invention will scavenge lost heat with an efficiency of up to 30 percent.
Earthquakes are a serious drawback and side effect of geothermal drilling and that could be damaging to the industry, especially after Japan's nuclear experience. GTherm, a Connecticut-based company founded in 2008, thinks they can overcome the issue through their proprietary geothermal extraction process that doesn't involve fracturing rock, which is apparently causing the quakes.
India currently relies heavily on coal for its mass consumption of energy. Even though the country's renewable energy capacity represents 11% of the global installed power capacity, for India it is not enough. The ministry for New and Renewable Energy has recently announced an investment of $37 billion in green energy generation, which should add up another 17,000 MW in the next 6 years.
Apparently, it's a matter of pride for Germany to excel in the production and usage of electric vehicles. According to Chancellor Angela Merkel, it would be very good for the country to become "the market leader and leading provider" for electric cars, since it's the place "where the first motor car was built," statement reported on the 15th of May by the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
The massive consumption of energy can be counteracted not only by finding alternative sources, but also by cutting on the "appetite" we already have. If we look at the bigger picture, 70% of the total electricity production in the U.S. is eaten up by commercial buildings (according to the U.S. Department of Energy). So, wouldn't it be great if we could reduce that amount as much as we can?
Today, thanks to Reynobond with Eco Clean we can skip unneccessary work: this coil-coated architectural panel cleans itself and the air around it. If you can't believe your eyes, just check it out on May 12 at the AIA 2011 National Convention and Design Exposition in New Orleans.
