Blogs
Russia to ban incandescent bulbs
October 16, 2009 10:31 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsRussia has jumped on the CFL bandwagon, and decided to ban the incandescent bulb. As of January 1, 2014, the manufacture and sale of all incandescent bulbs will be prohibited in Russia.
CEC holds hearing on TV regulations
October 15, 2009 8:55 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsBack in March, we reported on the California Energy Commission’s proposal to set a cap on the maximum active mode power usage (watts) for TV’s. All units above the maximum would be banned for sale in California—this would preclude the vast majority of Plasma, DLP, and Rear-projection TV’s.
George Soros to invest $1 billion in “green tech”
October 13, 2009 6:00 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsEarlier, we reported that global investments in renewable energy had dipped 40% from 2008-09—thus, the following comes as welcome news. George Soros has decided to invest $1 billion of his own money into “green technologies.” Soros issued a clear directive on how his money ought to be spent
Testing Wind Turbines To Power Cell Phone Towers
October 12, 2009 4:32 am | CommentsHelix Wind Corporation gave an update today on its efforts to provide cost-effective renewable energy solutions to telecommunications companies. Helix’s wind turbines can lower the costs of operating expenses associated with cell phone towers in remote locations.
Institute unveils efficient redox flow battery
October 9, 2009 10:09 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsThe Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) has developed a redox flow battery that could become the gold standard in Advanced Technology Vehicles. If the claims hold up, this battery would be a true breakthrough. There’s nothing revolutionary about the concept of redox flow batteries.
Israelis bring green power to West Bank village
October 9, 2009 5:41 am | CommentsResidents of a West Bank village with no electricity have been helped out of the darkness by unlikely benefactors - a group of Israelis who installed solar panels and wind turbines to illuminate the Palestinians' makeshift homes. The villagers of Susya live in tents and caves with power lines darting right above their dwellings
Climate watch: choosing Kyoto's successor
October 8, 2009 12:23 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsGlobal investments in renewable energy technology dipped 40% from 2008-09—this according to United Nations Industrial Development Organization Director, General Kandeh Yumkella. “Due to the current economic crisis we have seen almost a 40 percent decline in 2009 alone in these investments,” said Yumkella at a global conference on green energy in central Mexico.
EPA’s Energy Star Label Now Available for Four Types of Glass and Food Processing Plants
October 7, 2009 7:31 am | CommentsFrom strawberry jam jars to frozen french fries, the manufacturing plants that make several well-known container and food items in the United States can now earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star for superior energy efficiency. The new Energy Performance Indicators (EPIs) for flat and container glass manufacturing plants
OLED Display Technology and Capabilities
October 6, 2009 10:20 am | by Oliver Nachbaur, Systems Engineering Manager – Display Power, Texas Instruments | CommentsThe organic light emitting diode (OLED) display is becoming more and more popular, especially for mobile phones, media player and small entry level TVs. Contrary to a standard liquid crystal display, the OLED pixel is driven by a current source. To understand how and why the OLED power supply impacts the display picture quality, it is key to understand the OLED display technology and power supply requirements.
Toshiba to release highly-efficient LED bulbs
October 6, 2009 6:42 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsToshiba will become a big player in optoelectronics—if their lighting division has its druthers. The company will release high-output LED light bulbs with a total flux equivalent to that of a 60 W incandescent lamp. The “natural white” type and the warm white type feature total fluxes of 810 lm and 600 lm, respectively.
Dow to Sell Solar Roof Shingles
October 6, 2009 5:14 am | by Matt Daily | CommentsDow Chemical Co said on Monday it would begin selling a new rooftop shingle next year that converts sunlight into electricity -- and could generate $5 billion in revenue by 2015 for the company. The new solar shingles can be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingles, Dow said, and will be introduced in 2010 before a wider roll-out in 2011.
Is the US Outsourcing its future?
October 5, 2009 6:34 am | by by Gary P. Pisano | CommentsToday, many people are looking to high technology sectors — like alternative energy — to be the growth engine that revives the U.S. economy and gets it back on track. They're in for a shock. During the boom years, when all seemed well, capabilities that underpin innovation in a wide range of products were continuing to deteriorate.
Proposed bill targets “Cyberbullying”
October 1, 2009 11:51 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsRep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) has introduced a bill designed to combat cyberbullying.” And in a rare instance of bipartisan solidarity, the left and the right stand opposed. Make no bones about it—the proposed legislation is a serious assault on first amendment rights. Dubbed the “Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act,” the bill is a reaction to the 2006 suicide of 13-year-old Meier.
Ohio State University takes first place at 2009 EcoCAR competition
September 30, 2009 9:25 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsOSU has earned top honors at the 2009 finals of the Year One EcoCar competition. The OSU stable bested 16 other teams with their “Extended Range Electric Vehicle” design. The spiritual successor to Challenge X, EcoCar is a three-year collegiate advanced vehicle technology engineering competition
Company demonstrates world’s first nitride-silicon solar cell
September 30, 2009 5:39 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsRoseStreet Labs Energy (RSLE) has created what they assert to be the world’s first tandem nitride/silicon solar cell. RSLE combined a silicon solar cell with a Nitride Thin Film to create their hybrid photovoltaic cell. According to RSLE, this hybrid will achieve “practical efficiencies” of 25-30% (typical efficiencies range from 12-20%).
