If you were wondering how one could stay warm and cozy right on top of an ice-capped mountain, you must seek the advice of the Department of Architecture at the Swiss Federal Technical University. They have constructed the autonomous alpine shelter at a height of 2,810 meters above sea level. Many students and researchers have already started to use the facility and have spoken of its convenience and safety. They surely were awed, too, by its majestic perch on a snowy peak.

Situated right at the tip of a glacier, it is as remote and far away from any energy source as it could get. However, an innovative mind can take one a long way on the journey towards energy self-sufficiency. The building could be used by mountaineers as a base camp before making an ascent on the Alps.

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Antarctica has been man’s last unchartered territory but only till sometime ago. Now the cold continent is seeing unprecedented growth in tourism and up to 40,000 people visited Antarctica in 2007. However, the tourists have a negative effect on the ecology of Antarctica and environmentalists have started to worry. Maastricht University in Holland seeks to solve this problem by dramatically controlling the number of tourists to the continent.

The problem lies in the fact that Antarctica has no government of its own and hence, no regulatory body. The university has proposed to auction off parts of the continent and limit tourists and their numbers in the auctioned parts. This could have a positive impact on the way the continent sustains itself and protect the unique fauna of Antarctica. Perhaps tour organizers and travel agencies must get in touch with the regulatory bodies in their own countries and inform prospective tourists about how their visit to Antarctica can affect the continent.

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This might be the largest biomass power plant in the world that runs only and only on chicken manure. Netherlands has come up with an innovative eco-friendly method which is expected to provide renewable electricity to somewhere around 90,000 households.

With a capacity of 36.5 megawatts, the biomass plant will generate more than 270 million kWh of electricity per year. Insiders reveal that the plant is a good way to get rid of the chicken manure, which if spread over the farm land would release a massive amount of CO2 as well as methane.
In other words, the plant is more than just ‘carbon neutral’. It will use up approximately 440,000 tons of chicken manure, which is one third of the total chicken manure produced in Netherlands every year. Indeed a good way to get rid of pollution by excess of different kinds of animal manure, a problem faced by many agrarian economies.
Via enn

We had been hearing of it unofficially for some time now, but finally Toshiba has come out with the actual schedule of the fuel cell-powered mobile devices. Releasing in March 2009, the new mobile devices will be equipped with a methanol fuel cell that gets charged with a dedicated cartridge. However, there will be a second built-in-Li-ion battery that will provide a strong back up.

Hear hear the cartridge can make space for around 50 ml of 99 per cent methanol which can charge a mobile phone 10 times. Priced at 700 yen, the cartridge has already become hot property but Toshiba is planning to reduce the cost price further down to 100 yen. A wise move as it will increase salability manifolds.

The big Toshiba plan is to use these fuel cells in digi cams, lappy etc as well. And the best part is, the cartridge being designed will be of a single type and will be compatible with many devices.

Via nikkei

The Crown Estate of England knows which way the wind blows and has decided to acquire the prototype of the world’s biggest wind turbine, Clipper’s 7.5 megawatt MBE turbine, also known as the Britannia. While the other windmills have been land-based, this giant will be located in deep waters near the UK. This will assist the marine interests of The Crown Estate which includes almost the entire UK territorial seabed out to 12 nautical miles , about 55% of the UK’s coastal foreshore, and rights to lease seabed for the generation of renewable energy on the continental shelf within the Renewable Energy Zone which extends out to approximately 200 nautical miles.
This will drive forward the development of turbine technology designed for the challenges of the offshore environment hence providing a great opportunity to help establish a new industrial base of activity to advance the UK’s leadership in renewable energy.

The 10-megawatt monster machine built by Clipper Windpower of Carpinteria, California will have a wingspan larger than two soccer fields and will stand 574 feet tall when completed. The windmill is expected to displace two million barrels of oil as well as 724,000 tons of CO2 over its lifetime. It will also serve as the flagship for Clipper’s Britannia Project, an effort to produce massive new turbines on deep-sea floating platforms. If all goes as planned, the Queen’s windmill will light up thousands of British homes starting in 2012.
This thus, will not only prove benevolent but when yield as a good financial investment for the Crown as well.


Via fashionfunky

As the latest innovation in green technology and water desalination, comes the Solar Cube (aka Spectra Solar Brackish Water System). Producing 950 to 1500 gallons of water daily, it can be used in disaster areas, such as hurricane affected sites. Not only this, the solar cells attached to the Cube can produce up to 1240W. It also has a wind generator that helps with energy production up to another 1000W.
Utilizing Spectra’s highly efficient Clark Pump technology it minimizes energy consumption & provides extra electricity to power other devices. Having advantages like rapid installation it provides Off-the-Grid water purification and has point-of-entry water filtration capabilities. Adding to this once deployed and in operation, no fuel or fuel delivery costs are incurred. Like all the inventions of our days, the Cube has been already tested by the army and the civilian services of Chile. Likewise, it has been imported in remote areas of South America and Asia. Early prototype models were used in Pakistan after the major 1995 earthquake.

The users say it performs well - it has a recovery rate of about 30% and it produces quality water, with less than 170mg/L of seawater in it. Hence this popular “off the grid” solution can be used for military applications & civil defense and creates drinking water and electricity anywhere at any time.
Via Cleantechnica

Technology going ecofriendly is the best one could ask for. But if it brings foliage straight into your house-Bingo! Sara Rossbach has planted an innovative green concept for today’s energy consuming lifestyle. She has come up with a décor for your window that is dubbed as Leaf Shade. Leaf Shade utilizes sun’s energy to power up a house and at the same time acts as a screen to keep away the glaring sun. This leafy shade too just like real leaves absorbs the sun rays.

But the shade doesn’t prepare food for itself. It is tweaked to power your home with solar energy instead. Made of two layers, the prime solar film layer is fitted with a battery and does the actual job of energizing your abode with all the goodness of the sun. The other layer is fabric that is dressed with cutouts that give an impression of sunlight passing through the leaves. With the concrete jungles spreading like wildfire erasing all the greens from the face of the earth, this Leaf Shade would also remind you every moment to conserve our lush greens.

A very interesting and style of green décor and eco-energy, one would agree. This one’s a must have for every eco-lover!

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This is the perfect conundrum that the world has to solve before we really move forward and look for new sources of energy and how we wish to develop them further. Nuclear Energy is without doubt a source that has immense potential. In fact, there could be a day when we could truly power up the city of New York for months with nothing but a glass of water (As so eloquently stated in ‘Chain Reaction’). But with what consequences? That is a question that we need to look at closely before we move any further.

Exelon, the largest operator of nuclear power plants in the United States has filed a license application with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US-NRC) to build two new nuclear power plants near Victoria, Texas. When operating, the plants will produce zero units of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, sulfur oxides, and fly ash. The Boiling Water Reactors will each produce approximately 1,500 MW of electric power.
It is worth noting that a 3,000 MW power station operating at an average capacity factor of 90% - which is typical for a US nuclear power plant - can produce more than 23 million MW-hours of electricity each year.

If you factor in the current costs of power in Texas then this turns out to be a gold mine waiting to be dug up even in terms of the economy of it all. Of Course, it will also mean that the local economy will thrive with more jobs as well. But what about the nuclear waste? I guess for now we will have to like with it and it could be far easier to dispose of it rather than deal with more CO2 at present. All in all, it is thumbs up for the new giant project.

Via Cleantechnica

If thinking out of the box is your cup of tea then Japan is the land for you. People there surely think out of the box even when they do not need to and ‘tea’ is pretty much all you will get their to drink. Japan is a land that has been known for its amazing new creations and amalgamation of electronic perfection with spectacular new gadgets. But here is an idea by the Japanese that is both needed and welcome. The spectacular Eco-Rigs to adorn Japan’s Coastline would soon make a mighty power source of free energy.

Huge Village-sized floating Eco-Rigs would soon float close to the Japanese shore to generate clean power for the country. These humongous structures would be fitted with both wind turbines and wide solar panels to produce energy in more ways than just one. While the 2 km by 800 meters solar base would be busy turning the power of the sun in to electricity, the wind turbine blades would be swirling around to power up Japan further.

So what about the ocean eco-system in all this? It gets better actually with some of that solar and wind energy to be used to power banks of underwater LED lights. They’re intended to be the source of light for nurseries of seaweeds to encourage the growth of fish and plankton population. That is indeed king-sized eco-revolution.

Via TimesOnline

So what exactly is ‘Solar Cogeneration Power’? That is probably something that we should clear out first and foremost before getting in to the meat of the matter. It is quite simple actually and it just means that solar power will help power the engine to a partial extent. Why are we so bothered about that one little term when we have such a huge story unfolding before us? Simply because it very cleverly hides the fact that this Solar Powered Cargo ship will probably be powered by solar energy to a very little extent. I would be surprised if it was even 10% of the total power required to power a cargo ship.

Japan’s biggest shipping line Nippon Yusen KK and Nippon Oil Corp said that solar panels capable of generating 40 kilowatts of electricity each would be placed on top of a 60,000-tonne car carrier to be used by Toyota Motor Corporation. The ship system is expected to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1 to 2%, or about 20 tonnes per year. While the news is indeed great, using wind and wave energy would probably be more viable along with solar power. Any amounts of energy saving is indeed good, but why stay content for so little when it can be a lot better?

The energy provided by the solar panels would probably amount to 5% of the total power that the ship needs and both salinity and vibrations of the ship will further hamper their efficiency. On the wide blue oceans, it just makes more sense to tap in to the unabated wind and the untamed waves!

Via Nextenergynews