100 Gold Brooklyn Green Condos

Written by Preston Koerner | April 9, 2009 | read more: Condo, Residential

Green building is bursting at the seams in New York, and if you don’t believe me, just read Green Buildings NYC. The REDD Group shot us an email of a project they’re working on in Brooklyn (or more specifically, Vinegar Hill and Dumbo) called 100 Gold. They tell us 100 Gold is one of the first green residential developments in the area, which is surprising considering all the activity I read about on gbNYC. The 10-unit, condo building will open a model apartment on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. Here is what to expect from 100 Gold:

• Radiant floor heating
• Energy-efficient mechanical systems
• Operable floor-to-ceiling windows
• Abundant interior natural light
• Energy Star appliances
• Water-efficient dual-flush toilets
• Zero-VOC Ivy Coatings paints
• Recycled finishing materials
• Locally-made hand blown glass light fixtures
• Roof pavers made from 100% recycled tires
• Rooftop gardens with landscaping and deck

The place will have free storage, a 15-year tax abatement, and bicycle storage, etc. In total, 100 Gold comprises six one bedroom units, two duplex studios—one with a private yard, and two duplex apartments with one bedroom, loft, and private terraces. Current prices range from $525k - $935k.

Rendering credits: Redd Group.

M2E Charges Your Cell Phone With Kinetic Energy!

M2E Charges Your Cell Phone With Kinetic Energy!
by Adrianne Jeffries

Earlier this year we highlighted Idaho startup M2E Power’s push to develop motion-powered electronics for the military. Now M2E is emphasizing the commercial applications for their technology, with a specific goal: revolutionizing cell phone batteries. M2E will announce the development of an external charger later this month that will generate between 300 and 700 percent more energy than current kinetic energy technologies, and may eventually replace cell phone batteries altogether.

M2E’s technology is founded on the Faraday principle, wherein energy is produced from the motion of a magnet passing through a coil. M2E says they have designed a system that will generate between 300 percent and 700 percent more power than kinetic energy technologies currently available.

Their design consists of a tiny coil/magnet generator combined with traditional battery storage that will capture even low frequency kinetic energy, so that most daily human motion will be converted into electricity sufficient to power electronic devices like cell phones, PDAs or MP3 players.

M2E is looking to incorporate their technology into a variety of fields - their web site teases that “The impending impact of MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) will be both exciting and far ranging” and hints at applications for wind power, automotive power and small generators. M2E also hopes to eventually create motion-powered batteries that rival consumer-sized ones – D, AA and even AAA cells.

The company is planning to get its first motion-powered military product into the field before 2009, but it’ll take two or three years before we can expect our cell phones to charge themselves simply by being transferred from our pockets to our ears.

+ M2E Power

Via Earth2Tech

Is a Hydrogen Powered House Really Green?

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04. 3.09

Ron Monahan is trying build an energy efficient subdivision in Aiken, South Carolina, and a few weeks ago announced that he was going to build between one and four Net Zero houses, (homes create as much energy as they use over the course of the year) in the development. However, when I looked at the site plan and the size of the houses with their two car snouts, I really wondered what was the point, given the amount of energy it was going to take just to get there.

So he has cranked up the volume to get a little more attention: He is going to power one of them with hydrogen.

The local news video gets it all hilariously wrong, calling it "Greenest Subdivision In America" and calling it the first hydrogen powered house (it's not) and saying that the house is powered by water (it's not) but the facts are more interesting. According to the press release:

Photovoltaic cells on the roofs of the homes – now being designed in much more efficient and attractive models – will run electricity through an electrolizer – a scientific bucket of water – which easily separates the oxygen from the hydrogen. Oxygen and water vapor are the only emissions and are beneficially released to the atmosphere. The hydrogen is captured in the hydrogen fuel cell to run the house, along with the solar power.

There is only one other house known in the United States that uses this revolutionary, simple and very safe system to power a home, and that was done by an enterprising engineer who retrofitted his north-eastern farm home. The Ridge at Chukker Creek will be the first housing development anywhere in the world to offer this option for sale to people who care deeply about their environment and want to live in a home that generates all of its own power – naturally and for free – without having to build it themselves.

Scientific American

Right. Scientific American covered that enterprising engineer, Mike Strizki, and his house last year. This is what his back yard looks like as he stores the hydrogen. This is not how they are storing the gas in this particular house:

"The use of hydrogen to store energy in residential applications at the Ridge is certainly unique,” said Dr Greenway. “And the highly-efficient system design using metal hydride hydrogen storage is one-of-a-kind. This truly demonstrates Ron Monahan's vision. Greenway Energy is excited to design and integrate this system."

This is what his controls look like. It is a wonderful science project and Mike Strzki did an admirable job. No doubt Dr. Scott Greenway of Greenway Engineering will be just as admirable and put into a smaller package.

But people who "deeply about their environment" would realize that this is not a solution to our problems, to drive your Prius to a house with hundreds of thousands of dollars (they say it is a fifty thousand dollar option and I don't believe it) of technology stuck on it just so you can call it Net Zero. This is what you do in space stations, not houses. We need simple, replicable and affordable solutions.

Mr. Monahan was much closer to the mark in the earlier press release, where they wrote:

Some of the strategies are quite simple, such as siting a home the way people did for centuries to take advantage of the angle of the sun, trees for shading and the prevailing breezes. Others are high tech, such as blowing in foam insulation under the roof, walls and the floor, [and] using an EnergyStar door fan test to find and seal every air leak.

Blight: Illuminating Solar Blinds Turn Night to Day

Blight: Illuminating Solar Blinds Turn Night to Day
by Mike Chino

One of fifty top entries in this year’s Greener Gadgets Design Competition, Vincent Gerkens’ Blight offers a brilliant twist on staid venetian blinds. Rather than serving simply to block the sun’s rays, the design re-envisions blinds as sun-soaking solar panels that store energy during the day and illuminate your interiors at night.

Named after a combination of the words “blind” and “light”, Blight creates a seamless link between the indoors and the outdoors, storing sunlight during the day and giving it back at night. The smart design takes advantage of the large surface area of extended venetian blinds by lining each panel with flexible solar cells. Once night falls, stored energy is transfered to a layer of electroluminescent foil, which provides energy-efficient light.

Gerkens states: “With Blight we have not produced a new object; we have just created the design of an everlasting product: the Venetian blind. We use all the current functions of this object and add a little technology to give it a new function - to catch solar energy and convert it into electricity.”

There’s lots more innovative eco gadgets to check out, so head over to the to the Greener Gadgets website to see all 50 entries! And remember, we’ll be awarding $5000 to the top three designs so be sure to vote for your favorite!

+ Blight

+ Greener Gadgets Design Competition

EcoCoon Retreats

EcoCoon Retreats

by Alexandra Kain

Lofted high above in the trees, Mathier Collos’ EcoCoon retreats are a conceptual design for prefabricated housing. Each of the London-based architect’s cocoon-like pod is outfitted with an array of sustainable features including rainwater collection, a greywater system, and biomass heating. And depending on the type of tree used and the tree branching density, solar panels can also be integrated to help make these pods as eco-sensitive as possible. The two-story, split-level retreats can comfortably accommodate two adults or a small family and larger models may be able to act as a small, quaint hostel with several guests.

The cocoon is supported by steel suspension cables that are attached to the tree’s stronger branches above. With the tree trunk running through the center of the cocoon, the trunk naturally acts as a hand rail and central divider between the home’s triangular shaped spaces. The polygonal-shaped panels of the EcoCoon make the structure easily assembled on site. Each made of pre-insulated materials with high thermal resistance, the panels are designed to make the interior more comfortable without using a ton of resources.

Much like other retreats, the EcoCoons allow its inhabitants to re-connect to nature. On each level of the shelters, one panel is hinged so it can open up into a terrace while smaller, fixed windows give residents a chance to peek out into the surrounding nature.

via designboom

Can You Convert to Natural Gas?

by Bill Siuru
07/21/2008

Are you considering converting your car or light truck to run on compressed natural gas (CNG)? Besides being less expensive on a gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) basis, CNG is cleaner burning and, unlike petroleum, doesn't come from unfriendly places. However, finding and operating a natural gas vehicle (NGV) is more challenging in the U.S. than in most of the rest of the world, where about 8 million light duty NGVs are in operation.

The only light-duty NGV sold by an original equipment manufacturer here is the Honda GX. All others are retrofitted installations for select vehicles that use GM's 6.0-liter engine and Ford's 4.6, 5.4, and 6.8-liter engines. Drivers in other countries have many more choices. One of the challenges for CNG engine system manufacturers in the U.S. is the time and expense to achieve certification for its conversion systems - as much as $200,000 or more per engine family. That severely limits our choices. Non-certified retrofit systems, allowed in other countries with less strict vehicle emission and safety rules, are sold here on the Internet.

Strict U.S. EPA rules cover the manufacture, sale, and installation of alternative fuel conversion systems. Even more stringent California Air Resources Board (CARB) rules apply in California and other states that have adopted these rules. These regulations do not allow consumers to install retrofit kits themselves. EPA considers non-certified installations as representing "tampering with a federally approved emission control system," an act punishable by a substantial fine.

Plus, EPA and CARB certified engine conversion systems are not sold to untrained or unapproved installers. There are only four SVM (Small Volume Manufacturers) of retrofit systems offering EPA certified systems - BAF Technologies, Baytech Corp., FuelTek Conversion Corp., and Impco Technologies - and only two of these are CARB certified. See www.ngvamerica.org/pdfs/marketplace/mp.analyses.ngvs-a.pdf for a listing of light duty conversions.

Before converting a vehicle to CNG you really must make sure you can conveniently refuel it. While there are about 800 CNG fueling locations in the U.S., not all are open to the public and one may not be located near you. If the fueling infrastructure is sparse in your region, this could become an important consideration if you plan to make a trip out of your locale where CNG fueling stations might be difficult to find. This is less of a problem for bi-fuel conversions that can run on either natural gas or gasoline. A listing of CNG locations can be found at www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/natural_gas_stations.html.

There is another option. You can get around the lack of public refueling by installing a home fueling device like the FuelMaker 'Q' and Phill, also from FuelMaker. These are 'time-fill' fueling devices that don't store CNG, but rather compress and refuel directly from a household's gas supply. With both of these devices fueling is done overnight or whenever a vehicle is idle.

The cost to convert to CNG can range from about $12,500 to $22,500 depending on the vehicle, engine, size of CNG tanks needed, and who does the converting. The greatest expense is for the CNG tanks, and the more capacity and number of tanks, the more expensive the conversion. While this may be daunting for many consumers, fleet users - like taxi companies and delivery services - can often justify the expense because of the fuel savings amortized over many miles. The FuelMaker 'Q' refueling appliance costs just under $10,000 plus installation and the Phill is priced at about $4500 plus installation.

Tax credits, rebates, and other incentives can offset the cost of a conversion. For example, the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 includes an income tax credit that offsets 50 to 80 percent of the incremental cost of purchasing a new dedicated NGV. It applies to the cost of converting an existing vehicle with an EPA- or CARB-certified retrofit system. In addition, there may be state tax credits. Home CNG refueling devices may qualify for additional federal and state tax incentives as well.

Generally, it's not cost-effective to convert an older vehicle to natural gas unless it has lots of mileage left and the investment can be recouped through fuel savings. If you don't want to make this substantial investment, you might consider purchasing a used NGV. Government agencies use a large number of light-duty NGVs that are often sold after reaching a certain age or mileage. For example, federal agencies' used vehicles can often be found at www.autoauctions.gsa.gov/index.cfm

The Car of the Future: Designing a Smarter Vehicle

The Car of the Future: Designing a Smarter Vehicle
by Mike Chino

RCA Concept car by Joonas Vartola

What intelligent new systems will the cars of tomorrow feature? Recently we were asked by Best of the Green Web to compose our thoughts about the future of personal transportation into a three part series. Whereas in past weeks we’ve focused upon the drive towards creating more efficient vehicles from eco-friendly materials, this week we focus on the more intricate technologies required to achieve the goal of sustainable transportation. After all, increasing fuel efficiency is a worthy goal, but let’s face it - if we really want to change our relationship with our cars, we need them to be smart. Check out Best of the Green Web for the full article!

Molo Debuts Expandable Honeycomb Urchin Lamp Antonia Halse

Molo Debuts Expandable Honeycomb Urchin Lamp
by Antonia Halse

We are excited to announce that one of our favorite contemporary furniture design teams, Molo, just launched a brand new fold-up paper lantern called ‘Urchin’. Molo’s Urchin Softlights are a series of gorgeous expandable lamps composed of flexible-yet-durable honeycomb craft paper. Urchin embodies Molo’s versatile design philosophy and is as adaptable as their paper walls or stacking blocks, allowing the user to lift or push the softlight into any desired position. Watch designer Stefanie Forsythe styling her Urchin softlights in a flash intro here.

Molo’s trademark tactile honeycomb weave material is designed for indoor use and can accommodate LED or compact florescent lightbulbs. The softlight comes in a variety of sizes and works well in groups for sculptural modules as photographed below. If their busy stand at 100% Design last week is anything to go by, we’re sure they will have orders coming in thick and fast!

+ Molo Design

+ 100% Design

Molo at 100% Design last week.

Molo at 100% Design last week.

Common LED Types and Packages

LEDs come in two basic categories: Low power LEDs commonly come in 5 mm size, although they are also available in 3 mm and 8 mm sizes. These are fractional wattage devices, typically 0.1 watt, operate at low current (~20 milliamps) and low voltage (3.2 volts DC), and produce a small amount of light, perhaps 2 to 4 lumens. High power LEDs come in 1-3 watt packages. They are driven at much higher current, typically 350, 700, or 1000 mA, and—with current technology—can produce 40-80 lumens per 1-watt package. High power LEDs come in many different shapes and sizes. Some current products from the leading LED manufacturers are shown below.		Structure of a 5mm type LED. Source: Lumileds™ Structure of a high-brightness LED. Source: Lumileds™

Cree® XLamp 7090

Philips Lumileds Luxeon® K2 Emitter

Osram® OSTAR Lighting

Luminous Efficacy

Energy efficiency of light sources is typically measured in lumens per watt (lm/W), meaning the amount of light produced for each watt of electricity consumed by the light source. This is known as luminous efficacy. DOE's long-term research and development goal calls for white-light LEDs producing 160 lm/W in cost-effective, market-ready systems by 2025. In the meantime, how does the luminous efficacy of today's white LEDs compare to traditional light sources? Currently, the most efficacious white LEDs can perform similarly to fluorescent lamps. However, there are several important caveats, as explained below.

Color Quality
The most efficacious LEDs have very high correlated color temperatures (CCTs), often above 5000K, producing a “cold” bluish light. However, warm white LEDs (2600K to 3500K) have improved significantly, now approaching the efficacy of CFLs. In addition to warmer appearance, LED color rendering is also improving: leading warm white LEDs are now available with color rendering index (CRI) of 80, equivalent to CFLs.

Driver Losses
Fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) light sources cannot function without a ballast, which provides a starting voltage and limits electrical current to the lamp. LEDs also require supplementary electronics, usually called drivers. The driver converts line power to the appropriate voltage (typically between 2 and 4 volts DC for high-brightness LEDs) and current (generally 200-1000 milliamps or mA), and may also include dimming and/or color correction controls.

Currently available LED drivers are typically about 85% efficient. So LED efficacy should be discounted by 15% to account for the driver. For a rough comparison, the range of luminous efficacies for traditional and LED sources, including ballast and driver losses as applicable, are shown below.

Light Source	Typical Luminous Efficacy Range in lm/W
	(varies depending on wattage and lamp type)
Incandescent (no ballast)	10-18
Halogen (no ballast)	15-20
Compact fluorescent (CFL) (incl. ballast)	35-60
Linear fluorescent (incl. ballast)	50-100
Metal halide (incl. ballast)	50-90
Cool white LED 5000K (incl. driver)	47-64*
Warm white LED 3300K (incl. driver)	25-44*

* As of October 2007.


Thermal Effects
The luminous flux figures cited by LED manufacturers are based on an LED junction temperature (Tj) of 25°C. LEDs are tested during manufacturing under conditions that differ from actual operation in a fixture or system. In general, luminous flux is measured under instantaneous operation (perhaps a 20 millisecond pulse) in open air. Tj will always be higher when operated under constant current in a fixture or system. LEDs in a well-designed luminaire with adequate heat sinking will produce 10%-15% less light than indicated by the “typical luminous flux” rating.

LED Lighting

Durable solid-state light that is more compact and durable than incandescents

Summary

A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a semiconductor device which converts electricity into light. LED lighting has been around since the 1960s, but is just now beginning to appear in the residential market for space lighting. At first white LEDs were only possible by "rainbow" groups of three LEDs -- red, green, and blue -- by controlling the current to each to yield an overall white light. This changed in 1993 when Nichia created a blue indium gallium chip with a phosphor coating that is used to create the wave shift necessary to emit white light from a single diode. This process is much less expensive for the amount of light generated.

Each diode is about 1/4 inch in diameter and uses about ten milliamps to operate at about a tenth of a watt. LEDs are small in size, but can be grouped together for higher intensity applications. LED fixtures require a driver which is analogous to the ballast in fluorescent fixtures. The drivers are typically built into the fixture (like fluorescent ballasts) or they are a plug transformer for portable (plug-in) fixtures. The plug-in transformers allow the fixture to run on standard 120 volt alternating current (AC), with a modest (about 15 to 20 percent) power loss.

The efficacy of a typical residential application LED is approximately 20 lumens per watt (LPW), though efficacies of up to 100 LPW have been created in laboratory settings. Incandescent bulbs have an efficacy of about 15 LPW and ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescents are about 60 LPW, depending on the wattage and lamp type. Some manufacturers claim efficacies much higher than 20 LPW; make sure to examine system efficacy, which accounts for the power use of all components. In December 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy studied the efficacy of four luminaries. All four fell short of the manufacturers’ claims; the study implies that manufacturers are relying on measurements of how much light an isolated LED produces, rather than how much light an LED luminaire actually delivers.

LEDs are better at placing light in a single direction than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. Because of their directional output, they have unique design features that can be exploited by clever designs. LED strip lights can be installed under counters, in hallways, and in staircases; concentrated arrays can be used for room lighting. Waterproof, outdoor fixtures are also available. Some manufacturers consider applications such as gardens, walkways, and decorative fixtures outside garage doors to be the most cost-efficient.

LED lights are more rugged and damage-resistant than compact fluorescents and incandescent bulbs. LED lights don't flicker. They are very heat sensitive; excessive heat or inappropriate applications dramatically reduce both light output and lifetime. Uses include:

• Task and reading lamps
• Linear strip lighting (under kitchen cabinets)
• Recessed lighting/ceiling cans
• Porch/outdoor/landscaping lighting
• Art lighting
  
• Night lights
  
• Stair and walkway lighting
  
• Pendants and overhead
  
• Retrofit bulbs for lamps

Definitions and Terms

Term	Definition	Units	How to interpret
Color Temperature	Color of light	Kelvin (K)	Sunlight at sunrise is 1800K 100W Incandescent light bulb is 2850K Overcast Sky is 6500K
Color Rendering Index (CRI)	Light’s effect on color	Scale of 0 to 100 with sunlight at 100	The higher the number, the more “true” the color will look in that light
Brightness	The intensity of the light.	Lumens	The higher the lumens, the brighter the light
Power	Amount of electrical energy consumed	Watts	Lower the watts, the lower the energy consumed
Efficacy	The efficiency of the bulb to convert electricity into light	Lumens per Watt	More efficient bulbs provide more light using less energy

---

PATH Attributes

	Individual LEDs are considerably more efficient; however, the lamp or fixture design is reduced by the driver and electronics. In addition, LEDs do not produce heat like incandescent bulbs.
	LEDs last considerably longer than incandescent or fluorescent lighting. LEDs don't typically burn out like traditional lighting, but rather gradually decrease in light output. Their "useful life" is defined by the Alliance for Solid-State Illumination Systems and Technologies (ASSIST) as the time it takes until 70% of initial light output is reached, often 50,000 hours. They are resistant to thermal and vibrational shocks and perform well when subjected to frequent on-off cycling.

---

Ease of Implementation

No additional tools or training are required for installation of LED fixtures.

---

Initial Cost

The biggest limitation to LED for common residential use is the cost of manufacturing due to still-limited production runs. Manufacturers claim production will increase considerably in the near future, further lowering prices. Currently, there is a limited number of LED fixture manufactures, but this is changing. Retrofit bulbs range from $25 to $60 for night lights and small lamps.

---

Operational Cost

The cost savings of LEDs can be found in smaller wattage lamps or for applications that take advantage of their longevity, such as difficult to reach places. They are also advantageous for dimmable fixtures, since dimmable fluorescents are expensive.

---

Installation

The small size of LED lights encourages a variety of design options. White LED lamps are available with Edison (screw-in type) bases to retrofit existing fixtures. There are LED strips that can be used under cabinets. In addition, outdoor landscaping fixtures are available.

---

Benefits/Costs

LED lamps have many advantages over traditional lighting methods. These include:

• Low energy consumption – retrofit bulbs range from 0.83 to 7.3 Watts
• Long service life – LED bulbs can last up to 50,000 hours
• Durable – LED bulbs are resistant to thermal and vibrational shocks and turn on instantly from -40C° to 185C°, making them ideal for applications subject to frequent on-off cycling, such as garages and basements
• Directional distribution of light – good for interior task lighting
• No infrared or ultraviolet radiation – excellent for outdoor use because UV light attracts bugs
• Safety and environmentally conscious – LEDs contain no mercury and remain cool to the touch
• Fully dimmable – LEDs do not change their color tint when dimmed unlike incandescent lamps that turn yellow
• No frequency interference – no ballast to interfere with radio and television signals
• Range of color – LEDs can be manufactured produce all colors of the spectrum without filters, they can also produce white light in a variety of color temperatures

There are some current disadvantages to LED lighting:

• LEDs are currently more expensive than more conventional lighting technologies, and may be hard to locate
• LED are very heat sensitive. Excessive heat or inappropriate applications dramatically reduce both light output and lifespan
• LEDs typically cast light in one direction at a narrow angle compared to incandescent or fluorescent lamps so lenses or reflectors are needed in fixtures to broaden the beam (if desired)

LED Street Lights are Coming

by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.28.08

New Foothold for LED Lights
Dusseldorf, Germany, has 17,000 gas street lamps. The city's power utility has decided to replace 10,000 of them with LED street lights, but that hasn't happened yet. So far, only about 25 of them have been installed.

Of course, LED are still kind of expensive, so there's a capital cost. But once they are in place, their operating costs are lower and they can last for a very long time. Another benefit is that you can direct light much more easily, so you can avoid sending light in all directions (people with a street light across the street from their bedroom window will understand...). The first bump in the road for LED street lights was that some people thought their white light was too cold compared to the red-ish glow of the old lamps, but that can easily be fixed by using colored LEDs. ::Replacing gas lamps with LEDs

CHERRYPAL: World’s Most Affordable Green PC

CHERRYPAL: World’s Most Affordable Green PC
by Evelyn Lee

CherryPal is taking cloud computing mainstream in a big way with a soon to be released green personal computer. This green PC comes in a small, affordable package weighing just 10.5 ounces and consuming no more than two watts of power. The triple-core processor only has one fifth of the components of traditional computers, boots-up in 20 seconds, and promises to be faster than Vista and mac’s OS-X.

CherryPal had us doing our computer research to understand the power behind utilizing cloud computing. The PC contains only 4GB of flash storage, 256MB of memory, and a power architecture-based 400MHz Freescale mobileGT MPC5121e chip on a Linux operating system. To the everyday user, this means that most of the computer resources will be owned and accessed by a third-party provider in a data center – the type of service on demand similar to the way we program a Tivo. It also means that computer viruses will truly be a thing of the past for Cherrypal users.

For those of you who are a little more tech savy, here’s a more complete list of CherryPal’s Hardware:

• Freescale’s MPC5121e mobileGT processor, 800 MIPS (400 MHz) of processing
• 256MB of DDR2 DRAM
• 4GB NAND Flash-based solid state drive
• WiFi 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• One 10/100 Ethernet with RJ-45 jack
• One VGA DB-15 display out jack
• Headphone level stereo audio out 3.5mm jack
• 9vDC 2.5mm 10 watt AC-DC adapter power supply
• 10.5 ounces
• 1.3″ high, 5.8″ x 4.2″ wide

Skeptics standby, CEO Max Seibold stands firmly behind his product believing it will not only deliver on energy savings and cost, but also on speed, making it “the most affordable, greenest computer on the market.” According to Seibold, CherryPal will be able to appease the music collectors, the gamers, and those looking for a simple to use word processor. While official pricing hasn’t been released yet, sources say to look-out for prices well under $400 sans the monitor, keyboard, and any additional accessories necessary to run the desktop. Look out for an early August release along with a laptop to follow in the near future.

Antro Solo gets 150mpg

TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: Antro Solo gets 150mpg
by Jorge Chapa

Hungary is not the first place that comes to mind when thinking about cutting edge green vehicles, yet. If the creators of the Antro Solo have their way, the country will be synonymous with green machines by 2012. The Antro Solo is a solar, human and gas-electric hybrid vehicle. It looks like nothing else out there, and has a fuel efficiency of more than 150 miles per gallon!

The Antro Solo is a three seat gas-electric hybrid prototype made entirely out of carbon fiber. This material choice allowed the graphic designers to lower the weight of the vehicle to a measly 270kg. This also allowed them to achieve phenomenal fuel efficiency and a pretty decent top speed of 87mph. All of this is impressive enough, but the Solo’s designers were not content to stop there.

In order to maximize the efficiency of the vehicle, the designers installed solar panels on the roof. These solar panels store energy in the car’s batteries which can be used for short 15-25km trips. If there hasn’t been enough sun to power the batteries, each passenger’s seat comes equipped with pedals that can power the vehicles generator. If you are by yourself, or everyone gets tired, the car can switch to its small combustion engine that is capable of running on petrol or ethanol.

The prototype was shown at the Budapest Museum of Transport. It is set to go into production in 2012, and expected to cost around $20,000 dollars.

+ Antro Solo

Via Autofiends.com

Energy Efficient Design

Passive Cooling - What's old is New

Until recently passive cooling has been a forgotten practice. With mass production of air-conditioners it has allowed houses to be kept unnaturally cool as long as you were willing to pay the electricity bills. However with the ever increasing cost of energy and growing environmental awareness many home owners are once again including passive cooling into the design of their buildings.

The general definition for passive cooling is the use of technologies or design features to cool buildings in a natural way. Whether you apply passive cooling techniques to your existing home, or incorporate more efficient design principles into a new home these strategies will assist you reduce energy use and promote a comfortable, cool environment. Some of the key strategies used in this approach include:

• Increasing ventilation through the use of fans*, roof ventilators and the appropriate placement of windows at high points in the house to encourage natural heat escape. The use of cross ventilation and passive-stack ventilation also promotes effective ventilation. Cross ventilation requires openings on two sides of a room whereas passive-stack ventilation uses a vertical space, like a tower, to create a vacuum as it rises by natural convection. An inlet for cool air at the bottom of this space encourages an upward-moving air current;

• Reducing solar gain in hot weather through the use of shading from trees and vines. West-facing rooms are especially prone to overheating because the low afternoon sun penetrates deeper into rooms during the hottest part of the day. Insulating your home also reduces heat gain in summer and conserves available warmth in winter. Using pale colours when painting or rendering the exterior of your home reflects light;

• Decreasing internal heat gain by minimizing the use of heat generating light globe and appliances such as the oven; and

• Increasing internal cooling and taking advantage of the mass in the house by capturing cool air at night and when necessary topping up this up in the evening with mechanical* cooling.

* It should be noted that fans and mechanical cooling devices are not true components of passive cooling; however they are often a much more efficient use of energy than air-conditioners.