2010 Buckminster Fuller Challenge Finalists Announced!

The finalists for the 2010 Buckminster Fuller Competition challenging designers to come up with workable solutions to the world's most significant problems such as water scarcity, food supply, and energy consumption have just been announced, and as always we're thrilled to see this year's crop of innovative projects! They range from zero energybuildings to a solar college for women in India to a plan to rehydrate the great lakes. Here we present to you the six worthy finalists and their plans to fulfill Buckminster Fuller’s dream of bringing humanity back in balance with the earth.

Buckminster Fuller’s words are a perfect guideline for the contestants of this challenge and building a new model is what they are all focused on. The contest challenges contestants to provide, “a workable solution to one of the world’s most significant challenges such as water scarcity, food supply, and energy consumption.”
From a pool of 215 entries a panel of 11 judges narrowed them down through a series of eliminations to the final six. The winner of the challenge will be announced June 2nd at a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, DC and will receive a $100,000 prize in recognition of their work and to help them move forward. All of the finalists embody ideas close to Inhabitat’s heart and we salute them all for a job well done. Good luck in the challenge contestants, looks like it’s a tough race to enter!

Wind-Powered Knitting Machine Lets Nature Knit Scarves!

Perusing Designboom this morning we saw this super rad wind-powered knitting machine by Merel Karhof. We had to share this amazing device that beautifully knits tubes using only wind power! The idea initially came to Karhof as she walked by cul de sacs and noticed a consistent breeze flowing outwards. She decided then that she would come up with way to harvest that free energy source and put it to good use. The result – the “Wind Knitting Factory“.

Showcased first at the Hotel RCA exhibition, hosted by royal college of art during Milan Design Week, the Wind Knitting Factory is a 1.2 meter diameter handmade wind mill attached to a loom mechanism. As the wind blows, it spins the loom and knits a scarf tube!

Obviously the stronger the wind is blowing, the faster a scarf can be knit. Each scarf is 2 meters long and is labeled with the day it was made and how long it took to the wind to knit it. Totally powered by free renewable energy without any human power, these amazing little scarves are perfect for wearing on a windy day too!

Smart Green Home (SGH) Consortium Solution

The Smart Green Home (SGH) Consortium goal is to expand the market for home energy efficient solutions by promoting policies, education, R&D and commercialization of intelligent home energy conservation technology worldwide. The SGH Consortium is bringing together end to end technologies and promote international collaboration around open global standards, private public partnerships to co investment in pilot projects, campaigns and endorsements of best of breed solutions. The consortium has initiated collaboration with governments, technology providers, appliance manufacturers, suppliers, energy companies and consumer retailers.

Green Technology Smart Appliances: Are They Really?

Can your dishwasher be truly smart and know the cheapest time to wash that load of dishes?

GE says it can, and recently held a luncheon at the KBIS (Kitchen & bath Industry Show) called “From DC to Your Home: A Smart Home Response to Washington’s Energy Agenda,” explaining the company’s vision for smart grid features in the home.

GE is developing what it says are “smart” appliances that can communicate with two-way smart meters so energy-hungry appliances know the less expensive times to operate. The company says it is in limited production on some smart appliances, such as its smart water heater that’s already shipping with a smart connection. GE says this can shift the temperature of the water heater a bit to reduce demand from an electric utility. In addition, GE envisions a refrigerator that can shift its defrost cycle and a dishwasher that makes decisions on the cheapest times to do dishes.

Some planned features of a smart grid is time of use pricing and demand response, or demand-side management. Time of use, or variable rate pricing, prices electricity higher during peak-load periods, like 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., to encourage consumers to do energy-intensive functions like clothes and dish washing at non-peak, less expensive times. Demand response, on the other hand, will be voluntary programs that consumers sign up for, allowing the utility to turn down an air conditioner or water heater other appliance during peak load periods to avoid brownouts and such.

“We believe there are opportunities for coming up with flexible [utility] loads, and we think our appliances can help offset some of those loads,” says Mike Beyerle, a marketing manager at GE.

Between demand response and energy efficiency, we can reduce 40 percent of the growth in summer peak load by 2030,” Beyerle says. He adds that for every 15,000 homes, about $15 million will be saved annually—the carbon dioxide equivalent of taking 9,000 cars off the road.

“If people do not use a smart appliance, the smart grid will be useless,” Beyerle concludes.

I’m not sure if I would go that far. Smart appliances can certainly factor in a lot of energy savings through smart grid programs like demand response and time of use pricing. If a dish or clothes washer, for instance, can tell the cheapest times to wash those loads.

And what do we need to do that? Beyerle says we need an open, simple, common standard. That might work. Oh, and he’s also like to see incentives from the government.

“We envision a home area network. We believe there’s an opportunity to build a home area network where your devices all intercommunicate,” he says. “This will provide a continuous stream of information so you can decide whether to wash clothes, [and whether to wash them] in hot or cold water.”

I agree with the need for an intelligent home area network. Something will be needed to sort through the data on real-time pricing from a utility. And it’s not likely to happen just with a connection—wireless or otherwise—between a smart meter and a smart appliance. Having that kind of preference will likely require a processor in the home—one more powerful and flexible than any the utilities plan to deliver—or what’s to come in a “smart” dishwasher.

Green Technology in Household Appliances

Today there is a race on in the country to do as much as we can to save the environment and make new products that are more “Green” oriented that will not cause harm to the environment. While business are gearing up or are already implementing green technology into their products it has an added advantage for the consumer using green tech. The new products are being designed to use less energy than before which helps lower electricity bills for the consumer. When consumer are remodeling or in the process of purchasing a house they are looking for energy saving appliances . Green tech appliances often have a energy star sticker or something that allows you to turn them on to the energy saving mark. Most of the appliances with have a rating from A – F on how much they are eco friendly. But, they not only save electricity they are designed to save water and heating cost. The big advantage to these appliances is that the company who manufactures them is using recycled material in the process so when they end up in a land fill they will bio degrade faster than older ones.

One example of a newly efficient appliance found in homes is the washing machine. Normally the old bulky ones were using tremendous amounts of energy. But today you can find washing machines that are A rated and has a 40c wash to tremendously save on the electric used. More commonly also that helps is if your washing machine is front loaded this will add additional savings to the environment and life of the washer.

Another not so nice appliance that has become a great environmentally friendly use is the refrigerator. Most refrigerators manufactured today have a high A rating to them. The refrigerants that are now being used in the refrigerators are in foam which provides better insulation and the circuits are then cut the cooling to ozone being released into the air. There are of course those still being made with CFCS but the reduction of CFC in refrigerators should have deleted to ozone deviancies’ too no more than 15 due to environmental protection laws. At the end of the lifecycle for these refrigerators the manufacture usually has a recycling program in place where you can get a discount on a new one by the same manufacture and they will haul away your old one.

Manufactures have to by law display how much eco friendly material goes into making the product. So most appliances you come across with have there rating clearly shown. When it comes even to the packaging that is used to package these they should be at least 85 % recyclable. This is an advantage to the consumer and manufacture because they both are able to du there part to save the planet. The consumer

Another appliance that causes ozone depletion and uses a lot of electricity is the dishwasher. Having a non energy saving model can cost you twice the amount over a yearly period that you paid for it. It will use a less water when washing dishes and less electricity. Some high efficiency models also allow the use of recycling and flame retardant materials that produce less noise and reclaim water.

Green Technology in Household Appliances

Another new type off appliance for putting into homes is the Oven. Manufactures are currently introducing a new model that is run solely on solar hybrid technology. This allows the oven to heat up to 400 degrees without even using any electricity. But the oven has a backup it incase there is no sun to use electricity when needed.

The biggest thing while chooseing appliances are the size. Choosing the best size for you is perfect because the bigger the appliance the more energy it will use. So don’t choose one that is too large or too small because it will not save as much. The energy you can consume in a appliance is measured n watts not voltage so make sure you check it out prior to purchasing. So the lower the wattage the less power it consumes.

Appliances are not the only new green technology being offered but it is on the leading edge of energy efficiency for homes. But many other technologies from cars to computers are also getting in on the band wagon. It will help lower prices as well as save the planet what more could you want. So next time you’re shopping for appliances or electronics make sure you check there green rating before you buy so you can save some green yourself.

Green Technology for Electric Cars

It is possible for householders to install green technology in their homes and to use that to fuel electric cars. Many electric car enthusiasts are already powering their wheels from solar panels on their homes. Renewable energy installation companies report that business is booming as more people decide to go down this route.

I believe that in ten years time, it will be absolutely commonplace for ordinary householders to recharge their electric cars overnight from renewable sources, such as wind, or solar energy.

The amazing thing about green electricity, is that it would be a free source of fuel, once the installations are paid for. There would be small ongoing maintenance costs, but nothing like what we are paying for fuel today.

If you are thinking of driving electric, then you are probably also thinking of trying to free yourself completely from ever-rising fuel costs in your home also.

Energy self-sufficiency is the way to go, and savvy people are getting in early. The earlier you install solar/wind generators in your home, the sooner they pay for themselves and start saving you money. Then you can plug in your car to your personal, renewable energy supply.

Wouldn't it feel great to be able to drive around in your cool electric car on free fuel?

The real green potential of electric cars is that you can hook them up to renewable energy supply from your own home, if you install the technology. As individuals, we can do something real about pollution and climate change and still have cars to do all the stuff we need cars for:

Can I install solar panels on my car?

This is a question a lot of people ask me. It would seem to be the obvious choice, but sorry guys, it just ain't a runner.

Unfortunately self-solar powered cars are not a viable option. (This is where the solar panels are on the car itself, as opposed to your house.)

The surface area of a car isn't big enough to be able to power it by putting solar panels on the roof. So, put them on your house roof and use that!

Even if you covered your car with solar panels, you would probably only be able to power a hairdryer! It would be pretty cool to have your own portable renewable source of solar energy on your car roof, but until some brain box inventor makes a new discovery, it's not possible.

Yes, it has been tried----a really lightweight sports car was built by a group of students from the California Polytech University . They named their baby the CalPoly Pomona Solar Car and it did work. But it was impractical----it was so light it would not be safe for use on the roads and it was rather uncomfortable. The drivers had to practically lie horizontal to fit inside!

ZAP electric cars have just introduced a three-wheel Xebra model which has a solar panel on the roof. But I'm afraid it doesn't provide enough juice to drive the car on its own. It just supplements the batteries. A true solar-powered car is still a mere gleam in the scientists' eyes!

Technology used in F1 racing cars

These days we mark an immense rise in the popularity of the events such as car racing. In fact, the world of motor sports has reached such heights that it almost drives so many people crazy. And, when we are talking about the event of car racing, Formula 1 will always hold the roost.

The world of formula 1 racing cars and the techniques that are applied in this world are the most sophisticated of the car racing techniques that are applied to the racing cars. The world of car racing is the most competitive of the Formula 1 racing.
The considerable factor among this is the huge amount of money that is spent on the installation of the technology and all that goes into developing it. There is also a technology called the green technology that is soon to be introduced in cars that are driven on the roads.

It has recently been found through researches that the biggest Formula 1 teams like the Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, and Toyota are those companies that spend a huge amount of their resources on the technology of fossil fuels. It also comprises of the real-world application. However, the ruling body of this F1 motor sport has ‘banned further investment in F1 engines’. As a consequence of this, it is now expected that the major teams that participate in the Formula 1 car racing should now focus on the “hybrid systems and if possible on some other eco-friendly means of power production”.

The introduction of the new technology by the Formula 1 cars is a big step forward towards the imbibitions of the new eco-friendly technology to the streetcars. This is thus considered a great contribution.
Some of the innovations that have changed the characteristics of Formula 1 racing over the years are the technology regarding fuel injection, semi-automatic transmissions and traction controls. According to the further hypothesis by the experts, in a few years, the introduction of more modern technology will lead to the racetracks becoming the “valuable proving ground for emerging automotive technology”.

A stunning move regarding the 10-year “total freeze” on the matter of engine development was announced in Paris, on October 24 last year. There it was made clear that the “Federation Internationale de l’Automobile” is taking it seriously to have the F1 racing cars to lead the way for an eco-friendly technology that will further pave the way for a greener future. Federation Internationale is Paris-based organization that is responsible for the much of the world’s auto racing.

The best thing about the technology is that it is going to spur the most needed rapid innovation about the hybrid and alternative fuel systems.

It is accepted that the Formula 1 racing has become more techno-savvy in the recent times. However, you must take it into consideration that the Auto racing has recognized the urgency to be more environments friendly. The new technology has experimented with bio fuels and hydrogen fuel cells. The technology has also tried using hybrids.

Another technology innovation that is to make it debut in the year 2009 in the racing track of Formula 1 is the “Kinetic-energy recovery systems”. It is one of the major areas, where the Formula 1 is making a great leap towards the advance green car technology. Through this technology the cars uses a flywheel in transmission to capture and store the energy generated while braking and store the energy during the fast acceleration. In addition, it improves the technology prevailing in hybrid cars.

It is applicable for those cars that use heavy batteries for storing the recovered energy.

Pioneering on the Hydrogen Highway

Non-polluting. Sustainable. Energy secure. These terms wouldn't apply to the automobile as we know it. "Gas-guzzler" is the standard epithet for the SUVs that Americans have embraced, and air pollution and greenhouse gases are two of their hazards.

The State of California, however, is at the forefront of efforts to transform our vehicles. One effort is the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP), a public/private collaboration composed of 31 member companies: automobile manufacturers, fuel cell technology companies, energy providers and representatives from a number of state and federal government agencies. Its purpose is to promote the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Analisa Bevan, Chief of Sustainable Transportation, Technology Branch of the California Air Resources Board says, "The California Fuel Cell Partnership is an opportunity to develop relationships with those entities involved in the commercialization of fuel cell technology. Our zero emissions policy adopted in 1990 requires automakers to produce and deliver zero emission vehicles to California. The fuel cell vehicle is one of the technologies that can meet the regulation, so we're deeply involved in making sure that technology is successful in the marketplace.'

The California Fuel Cell Partnership was announced in 1999. "The State of California was a very important initiator of this project, and they are a member through two important agencies, the Air Resources Quality Board and the California Energy Commission, both founding members," says CaFCP's Executive Director, Catherine Dunwoody. "California is the place where the members believe the fuel cell-powered vehicle will first come to market. They're using California as a proving ground because the state has been a leader for many years in advanced transportation technology, environmental awareness and interest in low- and zero-emission vehicles."

The partnership, first envisioned as a small demonstration project for alternative fuel vehicles, quickly grew to 31 members. A headquarters facility in Sacramento provides leased space to each of the automobile companies where they can test and evaluate their vehicles. "It's an opportunity to get real world learning," Dunwoody says.

The partnership's members cooperate on issues such as providing education and outreach to the public, determining standards for fueling stations and offering first responder training-necessary because fuel cells, which have hydrogen and high voltage electric power, will be new to firefighters and police at an auto accident scene. The partnership also works with the California Air Resources Board in planning the Hydrogen Highway, a network of hydrogen fueling stations throughout California. "We look at the partnership as an umbrella. We help all the members in implementing their individual programs," Dunwoody says.

Automakers give the partnership high marks for helping to bring fuel cell technology to the marketplace. "The California Fuel Cell Partnership is dong a great job of leading the way, says Nick Cappa, manager of advanced technology communications for Daimler Chrysler. "We've been able to work with other manufacturers, oil companies and fuel cell companies and gain a lot of shared information."

While they collaborate on issues of common concern, each company's technology solution is its own. All are at different points in research and development. Most have a small number of vehicles being driven and tested in real world conditions in the State of California and a few other states, in addition to some international sites.

Daimler Chrysler has over 100 fuel cell vehicles on the road. Cappa says the company has put well over a billion dollars into research. "About a year ago, we started the F600 fuel cell concept. It takes fuel cell vehicles to a range customers are accustomed to, about 300 miles per fill. The next generation has a fuel cell system that is much more efficient and also has higher capacities. We'll build hundreds," he says.

Craig Scott, manager for alternative fuel vehicles, says, "In alternative fuel vehicles, there are multiple pathways. We don't see hydrogen fuel cells as the �silver bullet' that will meet everyone's needs. It's the most promising environmentally from our standpoint, but because there are a lot of unknowns with regard to hydrogen, we're also pursing other pathways and powertrains." He says that Toyota was the first automotive company to launch a consumer hydrogen fuel cell testing program in the United States with seven cars in 2002. Currently the company is testing nine cars in Northern and Southern California.

Beginning in 2007, Hyundai is bringing 30 fuel cell vehicles into the country in a Department of Energy/private enterprise cost sharing program. The company, which currently has a small testing program in California and Michigan, will place the vehicles in fleet testing environments in California and Michigan through 2009 to demonstrate their usability in real world work environments. "We're working with Chevron, which supplies the energy, and UTC Power, which supplies the fuel cell and system technology, in a kind of coalition, sharing technology with that small group to bring it along quickly," says Kevin Oates, communications consultant for Ketchum, Hyundai's public relations agency.

CaFCP's Dunwoody says, "We'll see the first hydrogen fuel cell cars in the next few years-not millions of them, but thousands of them." Honda plans to either lease or sell its fuel cell vehicles in 2008, she says. General Motors has a similar goal for 2010. In preparation, General Motors will begin placing more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles with customers in 2007 in California, the New York metropolitan area and Washington D.C. Dave Barthmuss, GM spokesperson, says, "Our goal is to get our engineering right by 2010. We aim to develop a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that is affordable and can compete with an internal combustion engine in terms of reliability and durability."

Ford's Greg Frenette is less optimistic. Chief engineer for Ford's fuel cell vehicles program, he says that many challenges have to be solved before the vehicles are commercially viable. These include lower cost per vehicle, technology breakthrough in on-board hydrogen storage and improved durability. "We've built a fleet of 30 vehicles in our third generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, based on the Ford Focus, and placed them with customers in various parts of the world. We're currently designing our fourth. We see great improvements with each generation," he says.

JoAnn Milliken, hydrogen program manager and chief engineer with theDepartment of Defense says, "California was the first state to promote fuel cell technology and is the farthest along." The department has been working on developing hydrogen fuel cells for automobiles for the past 20 years, making progress in reducing the cost of fuel cells and producing hydrogen and in working on materials that could lead to better hydrogen storage facilities. These gains have led to increased funding that is helping to accelerate the technology.

Phoenix Vehicle Design with Central Kinetic Axis to Generate the power

he new Phoenix concept designed by Sergio Loureiro, a Royal College of Artstudent in London, is some piece of work. This aerodynamic beauty is a sports car which runs on electricity with the overall concept being of reducing energy consumption. This is achieved as the vehicle adopts the alternate energy regeneration system inspired by technology used in dance floors.Here car has a central kinetic axis which with the movement of the vehicle generates power. The car is a complete beauty not just design wise but in motion as it puts to use the kinetic laws of physics for its basic functioning. So, one can say that it’s one piece of art.

Green Technologies: Electric Cars with Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Two hundred years ago, Swiss engineer François Isaac de Rivaz invented an internal combustion engine that used a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen as fuel. But the car he designed to go with it was a failure. The first electric cars were invented some 25 years later, long before Messrs. Daimler, inventor of the modern gas engine in 1885, and Benz, recipient of patent DRP 37435 for a gas-fueled car in 1886, came along.

At the turn of 20^th Century electric cars were more popular than gasoline-powered models, for much the same reasons that consumers are taking a second look at electric cars today: they did not emit noxious fumes, were quiet, smoother and easier to drive. So why did the more-polluting gasoline-powered cars take over the market? Several factors came into play.

Henry Ford, good roads, cheap gas

"I will build a car for the great multitude," declared Henry Ford in 1903. And so he did: the Model T, with an internal combustion engine that ran on gasoline, was released in 1908, selling for US$950. During its 19 years in production, its price tag would fall as low as US$280. No other car could compete – let alone electric cars, which, when at their peak in 1912, sold on average for US$1,950. The writing was on the wall.

Electric cars also lost out because of their limited range. At the turn for the century, this had not been a problem, as the only suitable roads for driving were in towns. But after the First World War, nations started to build highways and roads to connect their towns. Car owners soon wanted to venture out further than the electric cars could take them.

The discovery of plentiful crude oil resources reduced the price of petrol, making gasoline more affordable. But electric cars did not disappear – nor did the use of hydrogen as fuel. They simply faded out of the mass consciousness until the 1970s gas crisis and environmental concerns brought them back to the fore.

Clean energy

Today’s internal combustion engines can be readily converted to run on a variety of fuels, including hydrogen. However, hydrogen fuel cells used to power cars with electric motors are two to three times more efficient than gas-fuelled internal combustion engines. Moreover, they have zero-emissions and, because they have few moving parts, are quiet and vibration-free.

Hydrogen is one of the most plentiful elements in the universe. It can be extracted from natural gas, coal, crude oil, etc., but water is the only pollution-free source of hydrogen. The hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water can be easily and cleanly split apart by electrolysis, ideally using electricity from clean sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines. The resulting hydrogen can be compressed for storage and use in fuel cells.

It was a Welsh physicist, William Grove, who in 1842 invented the first simple hydrogen fuel cell. Grove recombined hydrogen with oxygen – the reverse of the process of electrolysis – to produce electricity with only pure water as a by-product.

Francis Bacon, a chemical engineer at Cambridge University in the U.K, whose interest was piqued when he read the papers published by Grove some 100 years earlier, dramatically advanced the technology in the 1950s. Pratt and Whitney licensed Bacon’s fuel cell patents in the 1960s and further developed the technology for use by NASA – the same fuel cell could provide electricity for in-flight power, heat and clean drinking water for the crews aboard space crafts.The Apollo, Gemini and all subsequent NASA missions, including the space shuttle, used fuel cells. Grove’s technology had come of age.

A number of companies founded after the oil crisis of the 1970s based their business models on the hydrogen fuel cell as a clean source of renewable energy, using Grove’s paper and Bacon’s patent information as the starting point for their research. Researchers are now working on many types of fuels cells, as shown by the hundreds of international patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for fuel cell-related inventions over the last few years.

In the 1990s, a research team at Ballard Power Systems in Canada made a major breakthrough when they discovered a way to increase the power density of hydrogen, upping the average figure from 200 Watts/liter to some 1,500. Using Ballard’s PEM fuel cell technology, a car with a motor of similar size to that of a gasoline car can match it in performance – going from naught to 100 km/hour in 15 seconds, with top speeds around 150 km/hour. The technology is also viable for residential use – electricity and heating – or as backup power applications.

BUT IS IT SAFE?

Mention hydrogen and many people think of the Hindenburg disaster of 1937, when a hydrogen filled Zeppelin went up in flames, killing all 35 people aboard. But numerous studies, such as those conducted by retired NASA engineer Addison Bain in 1997, have concluded that hydrogen played no part in starting the Hindenburg fire. The extreme flammability of the Hindenburg’s aluminum fabric envelope caused the disaster, not the gas inside. Hydrogen is very flammable, but so is gasoline. Moreover, hydrogen is not inherently explosive, and where there are no ignition sources, it is highly unlikely that hydrogen will ignite in the open atmosphere. While petrol will self ignite at temperatures between 228-501ºC, the self ignition temperature for hydrogen is 550ºC. In principle, for an explosion to occur, hydrogen would first have to accumulate and reach a four percent concentration in air in a closed space and then an ignition source would have to be triggered. With proper safety systems in place, this is unlikely to ever happen. Hydrogen is lighter than air and dissipates rapidly, so the risk of a hydrogen fire or explosion in an open area is also much lower than that of gasoline. Fill her up: Compressed hydrogen, please DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Honda, General Motors, Mazda – all of these big car companies have developed fuel cell concept cars, some of which have been delivered to customers for trial. In 2003, a team from DaimlerChrysler crossed the U.S. in 12 days with the fuel cell NECAR 5, reaching a record speed of 160 Km/hour and proving that fuel cell cars could go the distance. Mazda started leasing fuel cell RX-8s to commercial customers in Japan in early 2006, making it the first manufacturer to put a hydrogen vehicle in customer hands. Refueling currently remains a problem for customers, unless they live in California, which plans to build 150 to 200 hydrogen-fueling stations by 2010. A number of car companies aim to tackle the problem by providing consumers with home hydrogen refueling units. Honda recently unveiled the third generation of a home unit designed in conjunction with U.S. fuel cell company Plug Power Inc. And GM, whose Vice Chairman Bob Lutz believes fuel cells could create a new golden age for the company, plans to release a home model, which would make hydrogen either from electricity or sunlight, in 2011. This year, GM aims to place 100 hydrogen fuel cell Chevrolet Equinox SUVs for trial with consumers. Looking good

François Isaac de Rivaz’s car failed due to its poor design. But a glance at the fuel cell vehicles in these pages shows that manufacturers are now keenly aware of the strategic importance of good design. Their eco-friendly credentials may win consumers’ minds but it is good design that will win their hearts.

The ENV Bike from Intelligent Energy Ltd. won an IDEA gold award for design in 2006 (see WIPO Magazine issue 5/2006 – News Round Up). It was built from the ground up to demonstrate the use of hydrogen fuel cells, is virtually silent and has a top speed of 80 km/hour. Intelligent Energy intends to make the bike available to consumer in mid 2007 for under US$10,000. The Company started using the PCT in 2003 and has ten published international patent applications for their fuel cell technology, including "Core," a portable hydrogen fuel cell that can be used in the ENV Bike, to power a boat or a small house.

SOLAR-HYDROGEN HOME

Mike Strizki, an engineer at Renewable Energy International, Inc. and Advanced Solar Products, Inc., built a pollution-free power system for his home, using 56 solar panels and an electrolyzer to pull hydrogen out of water, which he then stores in tanks on his property. The solar panels provide 160 percent of the electricity needs of the home during the summer and 60 percent of such needs during the winter. Seasonal power management builds a supply of hydrogen during the summer for use during the winter. And, sufficient hydrogen is available to power vehicles and household appliances, including hydrogen cooking, throughout the year. He has more than enough energy to power his hot tub, swimming pool, big-screen TV and hydrogen fuel cell cars. (Photo : Renewable Energy International)

On the road again

In a recent press release, the government of Brazil announced that São Paulo, one of the world’s most polluted cities, which also has the world’s largest metropolitan bus fleet, would start operating up to five hydrogen fuel cell buses in November 2007. The US$16 million project is supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the Financing Agency of Studies and Projects (FINEP). The project objectives are:

• To develop a zero emission public transportation solution;
• To build an understanding of fuel cell and hydrogen technology, enabling Brazil to obtain a leading position, due to its potential market;
• To work to develop expertise and knowledge in Brazil with the objective of creating a market for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies; and
• To develop Brazilian specifications for the safe and efficient production, handling, stationary and automotive applications, enabling the development of a safe and efficient use of hydrogen.

Santa Clara, USA, Perth, Australia, Beijing, China and ten European cities already have hydrogen fuel cell buses undergoing trials in their public transportation systems. The results so far are positive. The three buses operating in Perth since September 2004 have been running more than eight hours a day, five days a week. Says bus driver Paul Wroblewski, "Passengers have been very keen on the new fuel cell buses. The quietness inside the bus has allowed me to overhear some lively discussions about the new technology and their new found knowledge."

Green Technology in Automobiles

2015 is New Magic Date for Fuel Cell Vehicles

AMP Equinox a Functional and Stylish Electric Vehicle Option

No major automaker has yet taken the leap into the soccer mom arena with an electric crossover, SUV, or minivan. AMP Electric Vehicles aims to change that with its AMP’d Equinox, an electric variant of this popular Chevy model.

The New York International Auto Show is the most well-attended auto show in the country. New York City is also a media capital and thus a prime place to forward the cause of ‘green’ vehicles. Automakers did this in a big way this year with electric, hybrid, hydrogen, and alternative fuel vehicles of varying types at the 2010 NYIAS.

For the first time, electric vehicles were also showcased in a ride-along venue on the show floor. Here, Green Car Journal and the NYIAS hosted the EV Pavilion, an electric vehicle ride-along that featured the electric MINI E, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, THINK City, and newcomer AMP Electric Vehicles. These electric cars negotiated a seventh-mile track with five turns to lend a sense of what electric vehicles are all about.

AMP, an EV Pavilion participant and sponsor, is now marketing its electric conversions of Chevy’s Equinox crossover vehicle and the past few model years of the Saturn Sky/Pontiac Solstice. Sponsor PEP Stations was also on hand with examples of its credit card–friendly electric vehicle charging stations (shown here charging a Mitsubishi i-MiEV), which feature touch-screen and point-of-sale operation. Exposing attendees to the concept of public charging and illustrating how chargers work is an important part of the puzzle in encouraging electric vehicles to the mass market.

Those who rode along seemed quite taken by their rides and there were always many questions – about single-charge driving range, top speed, time to recharge, and of course cost and availability. It was evident that curiosity and enthusiasm exists big time for electric vehicles, just as it’s evident that first-hand exposure to electric vehicles at venues like the EV Pavilion are crucial elements in the electric vehicle’s drive to market.

Construct Green

Residential Solar Power-Green Energy Idea

Using solar panels is a great way to generate clean and renewable electricity.
A home solar power kit can be purchased and installed by most people. No specialized technical knowledge is required and they are fairly inexpensive. In fact you can spend less than six hundred dollars on certain kits which will power many items in your house such as a laptop, one light bulb, and a 19? television for more than twenty hours, and many other small appliances.
Home solar power kits are also very useful in the event of a power outage. If the power fails your kit will have stored enough electricity in its batteries to give you light, heat, and hot water, and many other modern conveniences until the lights go back on. The amount of electricity available to you will depend greatly on the storage capacity of your batteries. If everyone in the country were willing to run just one appliance using a home generator the savings would be enormous.

Benefits of a DO-it-Yourself Solar Water Heater

Do-it-yourself solar water heater remains an excellent venture to try out. The easiest among DIY solar water heaters are batch water heaters. The batch water heater utilizes a water tank that is positioned where it’ll heat the power utilizing the sun’s energy. This is then connected to your house’s plumbing system.

Paint the water tank black. Because black absorbs lights, this aids the tank to absorb as much heat as possible. Several DIY solar water heaters integrate portable mirrors located smartly around the water tank. The sun’s rays then hit these mirrors and are reflected onto the system, increasing the surface area that will be heated.

However, if you reside in cold climates the batch water heater may not be a great choice for you. Use a closed loop system instead. The fantastic thing about this kind of system is that they will reduce your electricity cost and decrease your carbon footprint so they are great for the environment.

How to Build a Wind Generator

Capture the power of the wind by building your own wind generator. Get to know the basic steps involved to decide if a wind generator would work for your location and budget.Find an ideal site for the wind generator. In order to work efficiently, the wind generator will need to be positioned 30 feet higher than any obstruction within a 400 foot radius. Determine the prevailing wind direction in the area. Place batteries as close to the generator as possible for maximum efficiency..

Buy or make an anemometer to determine the wind speed at the selected wind generator site. Harness the wind. You’re going to need a rotor to catch the power of the wind and change it into energy you can use. Design a system to move or rotate the tower out of strong winds to protect the wind generator from damage. Develop a system to regulate the power when batteries are fully charged.

Best Ways to Attain Green Energy

The Green energy is a huge goal for world to attain. It means specifically finding ways to get energy so people can continue to enjoy the same luxuries of technology without a negative impact to the environment. This kind of energy is sustainable. It will cause minimal pollution.

Wind farms are rapidly growing in popularity. The idea is now being used for electrical purposes. One great way people can get green energy in their own homes is to install solar power and solar thermal panels. You will reduce your electricity usage and oil for heat by a huge percentage. Electric cars are another way for you to personally reduce your output of pollution. Though cars require a great deal of power to move, it is better to use electricity which can be renewed. Hybrid cars therefore combine the two so you use far less gasoline than many other types of vehicles.

Green DIY Energy for the Automobile

It is possible to produce your own DIY Green Energy for your automobile. This is sustainable energy that produces fewer pollutants than conventional fuels. For gasoline burning vehicles, this often involves production of ethanol. For diesel vehicles, biodiesel can be produced from a large variety of sources.

Biodiesel can be made from many different sources. It is an excellent use for waste fryer grease from restaurants and other sources, but can also be produced from any oil producing crop. Producing your own vehicle fuel will require room to grow the crop used for either ethanol or biodiesel.

Use electric vehicles that offer a clean and energy-efficient alternative to vehicles with an internal combustion engine. They produce no emissions at all making them environmentally friendly. Use solar panels or a wind turbine to charge the vehicle. This will essentially allow you to use your electric vehicle at no cost at all.

Photovoltaic Systems

Three universities of the USA have conducted studies related to renewable sources of energy and it has produced some interesting facts. The first and most important one is that renewable energy policies will lead to employment opportunities. Secondly, it will increase the consumer’s income and finally, it will have positive effect on the US economy too. The study Clean Energy & Climate Policy for U.S. Growth and Job Creation: An Economic Assessment of the American Clean Energy & Security Act and the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act presents quite an encouraging estimate. According to them as many as 1.9 million new jobs could be created across the United States within the renewable energy sphere. It would also account for an increase in annual household income by US$1,175 per year (Higher in Hawaii), and Gross Domestic Product could register a rise of US $111 billion by 2020.

Home Improvement Ideas Using Green Technology

Home improvement is a very widespread field, with many ideas from which to choose. During the summertime, countless people think about remodeling their homes, making improvements to certain rooms of the house, but are often not sure which improvements to do. Low-cost home improvements that not only improve your home’s appearance, but also help you save money in the long run, are the hottest plans currently. I’m writing this to list these ideas and hopefully, help spark your imagination. These are the top 5 home improvement ideas for 2009:

1.) Installing “Green” Technology – Due to the need of almost everyone to save money right now, and because of the increased awareness of the need to save our environment, the top home improvement plan right now is the installing of “green” technology, also known as “going green.” This could include such installments as solar panels, power-generating windmills, environmentally-friendly cleaners, energy efficient heating and cooling system, and energy-saving light bulbs. Solar panels may be costly at first, but they will save a huge amount of money in the long run by generating your own electricity. The same goes for the energy efficient heating and cooling system – it will help you save money on your electric bills. Windmills can not only help you generate your own electricity, but they can be made with parts from the junkyard. You can’t get much cheaper than that! Also, many of these “going green” improvements will help you qualify for a tax break and help out the environment. It’s a win-win situation.

2.) Install a programmable thermostat – This may be a very simple improvement, but don’t underestimate it. Installing a programmable thermostat will help save money on your electric bills. How does it do this? Instead of having the air conditioning or the heater running all day, the pre-programmed thermostat only turns on the AC or the heat when the temperature of the house gets too hot or too cold. This keeps the central heating and cooling system from running unnecessarily and, in turn, saves you money.

3.) Re-insulate your home – Making sure your home is well insulated will also help save you money on electric bills. That is because a well-insulated home will not let out cool air in the summer, and it will not let out warm air in the winter. That also keeps hot or cold air from drafting into the house.

4.) Paint or re-decorate your living space – This may seem like a very simple improvement to your home, but it is effective. Painting your rooms and re-decorating in soothing colors and accents will help you relax and want to spend more time in your newly decorated home. Pamper yourself along with the new designs and you will feel like you are at a spa getaway.

5.) Put in a patio – This is probably the most expensive option (unless you have close friends or family who are carpenters) but it is worth the splurge. A patio or a sun deck will allow you to relax and soak up some rays in your own back yard. You can grill out with family and friends, sun bathe on a chaisse lounge, or watch the stars from your patio. The good thing about putting in a patio is that it is actually less expensive than adding a room onto your house. A patio may be a small addition, but it will more than pay for itself with all the hours of relaxation it will afford.

No matter which home improvement idea you decide to choose, the payoff will be well worth it. Even if these ideas aren’t what you are looking for, there are many other low-cost home improvement ideas. This year, less is more is the approach to home improvement, and saving money is the best thing.