NewNergy

NewNergy discusses the latest inventions, innovations and breakthroughs in the energy & environmental sciences.

PecoBOO - An Eco-screen to Save Computer Energy

Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 posted by posted by Mak @ 3:20 AM

Eco-friendly PC innovator VeryPC has unveiled its latest invention for cutting the energy wasted by computers. The award winning Sheffield firm has launched PecoBOO – a piece of software,which uses a standard webcam and some clever software that recognises when you stop looking at your computer monitor and puts it on standby, instantly cutting the power it is using by a factor of more than 100.

Labels: conservation, energy, inventions

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Old Tyres Are Put To Energy-Saving Features

Posted on Monday, April 6, 2009 posted by posted by Mak @ 10:00 PM

Buildings are the world’s biggest energy guzzler, using more than two thirds of the power produced and contributing to 40% of global carbon footprint, from the construction and maintainance of the building itself. With those facts in mind, local developer Mainstay Development Sdn Bhd decided to make its new Shop Unit Mall Office development complex in Shah Alam as environmentally friendly as possible. One of the measures taken towards that goal is an unusual one – incorporating almost 220,000 used rubber tyres into the foundation of the building.

Called Space U8 to denote the spaciousness of the building, the complex will be the first ever commercial building to utilise the revolutionary Smart and Cool Homes technology invented and patented by Lincoln Lee. The system uses tyres to create a heat sink that drains the heat from walls built with autoclaved aerated concrete bricks, thus making the building interior cooler and minimising air-conditioning needs.

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Labels: conservation, energy, environment

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Coolerado Claims Solar Powered Air Conditioner for Power Conservation

Posted on Monday, March 2, 2009 posted by posted by Mak @ 7:53 PM

Coolerado, a Colorado-based company, is pushing its namesake air conditioning unit, a novel device that cools air by using water instead of chemical refrigerants and a compressor. Its developers believe it’s the greatest thing for warm climates since the automatic ice maker.

The company’s claims are impressive on multiple fronts. Most important is the power consumption of the unit on display in the video: 600 watts, or “one third the amount of power of a standard hair dryer” and a tenth of what a similarly sized traditional A/C unit would use. Spokesman Rick Gillan says the unit is large enough to cool 3,000 square feet occupied by about 20 people — the size of a small business — and can be powered completely by a small array of four photovoltaic panels.

Also appealing is the idea that the air conditioner itself can help boost the output of the solar panels powering it: In the heat of summer, when solar panels operate at lower efficiency, ducts from the A/C route exhaust air their way. The exhaust air is warmer than that being delivered to the rooms below, but cooler than the untreated outside air, so it helps the solar cells operate closer to their maximum efficiency.

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Labels: conservation, energy, homes, solar

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Ingeo(TM)- Bioplastic Reducing CO2 Emissions & Energy Consumption

Posted on Sunday, March 1, 2009 posted by posted by Mak @ 8:13 PM

NatureWorks LLC has achieved a manufacturing breakthrough with its Ingeo(TM) plastics made from plants, not oil. A new, proprietary manufacturing process commissioned late last year lowers CO2 emissions by 60 percent and reduces by 30 percent the energy required to produce Ingeo(TM) plastics compared to previous Ingeo(TM) production.

The emissions and energy reductions are even greater when Ingeo(TM) bioresin is compared to petroleum-based plastics. For example, the process of manufacturing PET (polyethylene terephthalate), the polymer most commonly used to make water and soda bottles and the mainstay of the synthetic fibers industry, emits 3.4 kilograms of CO2 per kilogram of resin produced. By contrast, the new Ingeo(TM) manufacturing process emits 77 percent less, with 0.75 kilograms of CO2 per kilogram of resin. The new Ingeo(TM) production technology also consumes 56 percent less energy than the equivalent weight of PET.

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Labels: biopolymers, co2, conservation, energy

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Zero-energy Computers from Fujitsu Siemens

Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 5:08 PM

Fujitsu Siemens has announced a new desktop PC dubbed the Esprimo Green or “Zero-Watt PC,” which the company will showcase during the CeBIT electronics show to be held in March. The system is being touted as the first in its class that will not consume even a single watt-hour of electricity in sleep mode and will still be able to keep all its electronics powered up.

More from here

Labels: computers, conservation, efficiency

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Texas Instruments Breakthrough Microcontrollers for Reduced Power Consumption

Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008 posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 2:05 AM

Texas instruments announced a new line of microcontrollers today that it claims offers a breakthrough in performance while requiring a miniscule amount of power. The microcontrollers are from the MSP430F5xx family and offer up to 25MHz of performance with as 160 µA/MHz of power needed.

The controllers will enable portable devices to have longer battery life, additional memory, and on-chip peripherals. The peripherals include things like RF, USB, encryption and LCD interfaces. TI says that the microcontroller will be seen in devices like consumer electronics, home automation, and more.

Labels: batteries, computers, conservation, electricity

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Bicing, Bike-sharing in Barcelona - Stop Driving, Start Pedalling!

Posted on Monday, May 5, 2008 posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 10:22 AM

In its first two months, Bicing, a bike-sharing program in Barcelona, Spain, garnered over 30,000 subscribers. This is good news for new bike-sharing programs in Washington D.C. and San Francisco.

Initially, locals were skeptical that Bicing would attract users, but the service has enjoyed phenomenal success and encouraged commuters to stop driving and start pedaling within the city center. One hundred bike rental stations are conveniently located near major transit hubs. Subscribers simply pick up one of Bicing’s 1500 cycles and zip past stalled traffic to pick up groceries and run other quick errands. Bikes are outfitted with a carrier, a bell and light, and are easily adjustable to match your size.

Source: Carectomy

Labels: conservation, human-powered

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Dyesol’s Solar Cells Uses Artificial Photosynthesis, Save Energy

Posted on Thursday, May 1, 2008 posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 10:04 AM

Solar Windows Could Slash Energy Loss from Buildings

Windows have traditionally been seen as a weak link in building design. Although they allow essential light into a building, they are a leading culprit for thermal energy loss.

However, all this could be set to change as a result of an exciting new collaboration aiming to reinvent windows as clear, clean energy providers. A team of academics at Queensland University of Technology has teamed up with Dyesol to develop transparent dye-infused solar cells that would significantly reduce building energy costs, and could even allow windows to generate surplus energy to be either stored or sold.

The development has been hailed by some as the most promising advance in solar cell technology since the invention of the silicon cell.

Dyesol’s solar cells use innovative technology called "artificial photosynthesis," where a dye works in much the same way as chlorophyll to absorb light and produce electricity.

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Labels: conservation

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Disappearing Ink - New Way to Save Energy

Posted on posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 9:52 AM

Think of it as the future of today's paper.

The Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and parent company Xerox are experimenting with a type of paper and a complimentary printer that would produce documents that fade away after 16 to 24 hours. A restaurant, for instance, could print its daily specials on a piece of paper, attach the pieces of paper to menus, and then collect the sheets of then-blank paper in the morning to run through the printer again.

How does it work? The paper is coated with photosensitive chemicals that turn dark when hit with UV light.

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Labels: conservation

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Philippines Government Posts P2.3-billion Savings from Better Energy Management

Posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 8:55 AM

Philippines Government Posts P2.3-billion Savings from Better Energy Management

May 22nd, 2007

The combined initiatives of the private sector and government to efficiently manage energy consumption resulted in a hefty P2.3-billion cost savings for Philippines.

The implementation of the government energy management program for both the power and oil sectors resulted in P613.86-million worth of savings...

The Philippine businesses’ energy efficiency index, as compared to their global counterparts, was seen faring well. It surpassed the achievements of Brazil, China, Malaysia, Germany, Turkey, Poland, Hong Kong, Mexico and India.

The set of incentives being offered by international institutions and nongovernment organizations also serve as stimulus for government and private sector entities to practice energy efficiency and conservation initiatives.

Read the full post from here @ ASEAN Energy News Service

Labels: conservation, efficiency

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New York's Green Agenda - Mayor Plans Energy Conservation Regulations

Posted on Saturday, May 12, 2007 posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 9:54 PM

New York's Green Agenda - Mayor Plans Energy Conservation Regulations

April 24, 2007

New NY gov Eliot Spitzer is calling for conservation. He's proposing a combination of legislation and regulations to get the state to consume less energy by 2015. Although the details haven't been revealed, the NY Times reported that these will include stricter energy standards for appliances, and upping the ante for energy efficiency on (so-called) green buildings. There's also talk about building & installing renewable energy generation facilities.

The reasoning for this is simple - by using less energy the state will save money.

Read more about the plans of NY governor @ this post @ It's the Environment, Stupid

Labels: conservation, environment

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Cut Your Energy Bill in Half

Posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 7:49 AM

Cut Your Energy Bill in Half, or How I Saved Over $500 this Winter

The author of this blog reports that he saved an astonishing 500+ $ previous bills, by following these "secrets":

1. Replaced all lights with CFLs - Every one. The light is the same. They hardly burn out.
2. Better management of phantom loads (things that are “on” even when “off”, for instance anything with a remote control, a clock, cell phone chargers, printers, monitors, etc.)
3. Switching to natural gas appliances
4. Buying Energy Star appliances - As you replace your old appliances, pay a little bit more for ones with the “Energy Star” label. They are more efficient and save more money in the run.
5. Buy a window air conditioner, instead of central AC
6. Efficient management of the refrigerator, such as turn off the ice maker at suitable times.

Read the full post from here @ Solar Kismet

Labels: conservation, costs, electricity

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Research Shows Segway(R) PT Tops the List of Most Energy-Efficient Transportation

Posted on Sunday, April 22, 2007 posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 7:50 AM

Research Shows Segway(R) PT Tops the List of Most Energy-Efficient Transportation

Press release

BEDFORD, N.H., April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The findings of an in-house analysis conducted by Segway Inc., show the environmental benefits of the Segway(R) Personal Transporter (PT) compared to traditional transportation options like cars and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). The research evaluates a variety of vehicles relative to their impact on the environment, both in emissions created and energy consumed, proving that the Segway PT can substantially decrease greenhouse gas emissions and is the most energy-efficient alternative to short-distance, single-occupancy car journeys.

Read the full press release from PR Newswire

Labels: conservation, efficiency, environment, inventions, transportation

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U.S. automakers still don't understand energy conservation

Posted on Thursday, March 29, 2007 posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 10:32 AM

U.S. automakers still don't get it

By Tommy Denton, Mar 20, 2007

After the energy shocks of the 1970s, the US Congress demanded that U.S. automobiles become far more energy-efficient. The average vehicle mileage required under the 1970s standards rose from the teens to the mid-20s -- and then sat there.

Thirty years later, after a spasm of gluttonous gorging of fuel to power SUVs and other muscle machines, the world's most profligate petroleum consumer has fallen back into vulnerability. Rather than applying the basic lesson that those who eat too much should eat less, much of the American business mind has been dedicated to finding alternative fuels to sate the nation's ravenous energy appetite, says this interesting opinion piece.

Read the full article here @ Roanoke

Labels: conservation, efficiency

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Hybrid Buses for Transportation reduces Fuel Consumption, Emissions

Posted on Saturday, March 10, 2007 posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 9:33 PM

New buses drive transportation to next level

By Mike Westervelt

09 Mar 2007

Purdue, USA - A new type of CityBus is driving the company into the realm of alternative energy.

CityBus bought six new buses, two of which use hybrid technology. The company considers the purchase an investment considering the hybrid buses cost an additional $195,000 than regular diesel buses.

The buses are expected to reduce fuel consumption somewhere between 25 and 30 percent, and the fuel savings could also translate into less emissions.

Read more from this report @ Purdue Exponent

Labels: buses, conservation, hybrids, transportation

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Echelon Technology Chosen To Help Reduce Energy Usage in Appliances

Posted on posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 9:14 PM

Echelon Technology To Help Reduce Energy Use in Home Appliances

(WebWire) 3/8/2007

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Echelon Corporation, a global networking company providing technology and solutions for controls, smart metering, and energy and environment management, and LonMark® International, a non-profit trade association, announced that CECED, the European Committee of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances, has adopted Echelon’s technology as part of its Household Appliances Control and Monitoring – Application Interworking Specification (AIS) standard. The CECED AIS standard defines Echelon’s control networking technology platform as one of the technologies for communication among household white goods such as ovens, washers and dryers.

The combined solution with Echelon’s standard will support the growing demand for intelligent home appliances that are more energy efficient, user friendly and convenient.

Read more from this press release here @ WebWire

Labels: conservation, efficiency, homes

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Consumers attracted to energy savings of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL)

Posted on posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 8:56 PM

Bright idea: Consumers attracted to energy savings of compact fluorescent lamps

ERIC SHACKLETON
March 10, 2007

Excerpts:

1. Compact fluorescents provide high energy efficiency
2. Nova Scotia's energy minister says the province plans to give retailers four or five years to prepare for a ban on incandescent light bulbs
3. Project Porchlight, a campaign organized by a not-for-profit energy conservation group, is working to deliver one CFL bulb to every household in Canada.
4. the PL bulbs, also called CFLs, have a longer life and will save the buyer money.
5. CFLs are also environmentally friendly because less energy is used.

More from this news report @ Brooks Alberta Business News

Labels: conservation, efficiency, electricity, environment, homes, lighting

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