IBM Archives – The Green Optimistic

IBM Researchers Develop Radical New Recycling Process for Old Plastic

Matias Prieto — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 05:14:24 +0000

Currently, more than 272 million metric tons of plastic are produced each year around the globe, with one-quarter of that made up of PET. To help to solve this big problem, IBM researchers have created a new technology called VolCat, a catalytic chemical process that can turn PET, a type of plastic commonly used in food […]

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Walmart Uses Blockchain Technology to Track its Lettuce

Matthew Fiala — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 08:40:05 +0000

Previously, when dozens of people across the country got sick from eating contaminated romaine lettuce, Walmart did the most sensible thing: It cleared every shred off its shelves just to be safe. However, Walmart & IBM are envisioning a fully transparent 21st century digitized food system. Walmart announced that it would be using a blockchain, the […]

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Dirty A.I.: A Tool that Looks For New Oil

Arsenij Percov — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 08:35:42 +0000

Much of the globe still relies on fossil fuels to supply its energy needs. However, while energy consumption increases, the amount of fuels available and found already drastically decreases. Therefore, the oil and gas industry have to search for new resources and it becomes more and more challenging. For this reason, Petrogal Brasil (under Galp) […]

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IBM and Airlight Energy Develop a Unique Multifunctional Solar Concentrator

Mila Luleva — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 13:51:25 +0000

You might wander what would happen if you bring together an IT giant, like IBM, and a small private energy company that develops solar technologies, like the Swiss-based Airlight Energy. Well, wonder no more, because they teamed up, and developed the ultimate solar concentrator that increases the incoming solar radiation 2,000 times, produces fresh water and air […]

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IBM Helps China Reach Energy and Environmental Targets

Mila Luleva — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 11:31:32 +0000

IBM, a giant in the information technology sector with nearly 450,000 employees around the world, has taken up the challenge to help China in their fight against air pollution and ease them through the transition to renewables. Regardless of the numerous attempts that governmental officials in China made in order to tackle air pollution, nothing […]

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IBM’s Photovoltaic Prototype Can Concentrate the Power of 2000 Suns

Leigh Hutchens — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:11:54 +0000

IBM Researchers have built a low-cost prototype solar dish that produces electricity and generates heat for desalination or cooling. IBM got the idea for the solar dish from the water cooling technology used in its high-end computers. The Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation has provided $2.4 million worth of funding to IBM, Swiss researchers, […]

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IBM and ABB Designing More Efficient Insulator for the Electricity Grid

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:30:19 +0000

IBM and ABB have decided to work together to find a better insulator for the electricity grid. They’ll use IBM’s supercomputers and ABB’s expertise at building grids to develop a new kind of high-voltage insulator that would better withstand the action of the elements. A significant quantity of electricity is being lost in its path […]

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IBM Invents Way to Both Cool Down Concentrated Photovoltaics and Desalinate Water

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:14:18 +0000

IBM is seemingly more and more concerned about green technologies, and now invests in a project that can solve the problem of cooling solar cells that would otherwise be hard to use because of the high temperatures they're exposed to (120°C), aka concentrated photovoltaics.

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IBM Patenting Traffic Lights That Stop Your Engine to Save Fuel

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:10:24 +0000

I have always been the geek type and liked high-tech, but IBM's recent patent on file has made me raise an eyebrow. They filed a patent application for a traffic light system that can control the vehicles' engine, remotely turn them off or signaling the drivers if it's safe to do so in the interest of reducing fuel consumption.

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IBM and Stanford Discover Chemical Recycling of PETs at Low Temperatures

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:18:58 +0000

Usually, plastic bottles, (aka PETs) are recycled by mechanical technologies, and they get several other uses afterwards: carpets, sweaters, etc. They don't ever return to their original water bottle use.It is possible to chemically recycle PETs, but the method has been so far very expensive and the industry doesn't want that option.

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IBM's Efficient Thin Film Solar Cell Made of Cheap Materials

Cristi — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:37:54 +0000

They managed to increase the efficiency with almost 40% of their solar cells, from 6,7 percent to 9,6 percent. To reduce even more the costs, these solar cells are build with an inexpensive ink-based process.

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IBM Chooses Lithium Air Batteries for 500 Miles EV Range

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:57:57 +0000

IBM, through its "Big Green" - "Battery 500" project, aimed to produce a battery for an electric car that would be able to carry a family-sized sedan up to 500 miles, spotted the lithium-air (STAIR) invention as its goal, and predicted that they could improve the STAIR battery further with the nanoscale semiconductor manufacturing techniques they possess.

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