This week, São Paulo is hosting the International Conference on Biofuels. Organized by the Brazilian government at the Hyatt Hotel, the event wants to encourage an international discussion on ethanol production and application worldwide. So far, the plenary session that called my particular attention was the Plenary Session III on … [continued]
Meraki — the ubiquitous WiFi company — announced that their much anticipated solar unit will begin shipping on December 4 as part of the company’s mission to bring affordable Internet access to everyone. Here in San Francisco, I often connect my iPhone to their Free the Net hot spots while … [continued]
Researchers at Virginia Tech’s Center for High-End Computing Systems have built the second version of a supercomputer called System G that runs at 22.8 TFlops. System G uses 325 Mac Pro computers that each have two four-core 2.8 GHz Intel Xeon processors and eight GB of RAM.
I always feel guilty when I use my dryer — after all, won’t my clothes dry just as well hanging on a clothesline? Fortunately, a British company called White Knight has come up with a way to ease my guilt. The recently Eco Tumble Dryer runs on natural gas and … [continued]
For the first time in America, a company has developed an efficient battery solution to storing wind power, a clear answer to critics who claim turbines are unreliable. [social_buttons] Xcel Energy‘s “Wind-to-Battery” project is currently being tested on a Minnesota wind farm. The company believes that the 80-ton battery will … [continued]
In an attempt to save the planet—and possibly just to piss off Canada—the company Mapflow is bringing a ridesharing app to the iPhone. The app is called Avego and Mapflow hopes it will help save the world. Hey, they had me at pissing off the Canadians.
It’s hard enough to construct viable solar-powered vehicles, let alone airplanes. Nevertheless, the first solar-powered plane trip around the world is now one step closer to reality. A 1500 kilogram solar plane dubbed “Solar Impulse” will complete its first test flight next April. The plane, which has a 61 meter … [continued]
Camping season is coming to an end, but you might want to start thinking about saving up cash for the $129,000 Verdier Solar-Powered Camper. The RV is based on the classic VW camper style, and contains a 4 cylinder hybrid engine, a 170 watt solar system, and a GPS system … [continued]
The Toronto Zoo says their 5,000 animals produce enough dung to easily cover the costs of the proposed $13 million biogas-to-power facility within five years. The plant would produce enough electricity for not only the zoo, but thousands of Toronto households. Similar operations that convert farm animal and human waste … [continued]
Nano-engineering students at Rensselaer have created a solar power game-changer: more than 96% absorption of sunlight from all angles, from sunrise to sunset. The two biggest efficiency hurdles for solar efficiency have been: 1. Solar cells absorb only part of the light spectrum. 2. The sun always moves in relation … [continued]
