Kaga Components Co Ltd is exhibiting a power supply apparatus for LEDs that has a lifetime of 100K hours. This was shown in an exhibition in Tokyo which took place on April 15 to 17, 2009. The apparatus which is currently under development was exhibited for the first time. How this was achieved? Well, the electrolytic capacitor was removed from the circuit to achieve this lifetime. At the same time the power supply circuit was also downsized. LEDs are going to be lighting source of the future because of its environmental advantages but unfortunately the lifetime of existing LEDs is as low as 10,000 hours.
Automakers and energy firms the world over have reportedly agreed to a single standard when it comes to electric vehicle plugs. Germany’s RWE has announced that automakers and energy firms have finally come together on a standard for these plugs. This standardization will ensure that a car can be charged in France exactly in the same way it is being charged in Germany, Italy, and Greece etc. General Motors, Volkswagen, BMW, Fiat, Toyota and Mitsubishi have signed off on the global plug design along with a number of energy firms around the world. This move not only minimizes headaches on recharging for consumers but also cuts costs for automobile makers’ world over.
Singaporean researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have devised a way to convert carbon dioxide into clean-burning biofuel methanol, using a safe, non-toxic process. This breakthrough scientific discovery was printed in the chemistry journal, Angewandte Chemie. Scientists have been able to make carbon dioxide react with a stable organocatalyst called N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) under mild conditions in dry air. A dash of silica and a touch of hydrogen are added in, where the entire mixture is subjected to hydrolysis to produce the methanol. More addition to the good news is that NHC is available in abundance. So have humans finally found an answer to Global Warming?
McLaren Automotive plans to launch an “eco-friendly” supercar in two years. The company was being restructured and the road car division would be made into a separate company as it winds down production of the Mercedes SLR. The new car is currently code-named as P11. The P11 is expected to cost US $ 275,000 when it is launched and will have technology from the racing arena. It is expected that P11 will be made of carbon fiber to bring down the weight. It will also sport the KERS hybrid drive system to improve both efficiency and performance of the car.
The PJ World Yacht is a yacht that adheres to some of the strictest environmental regulations governing many types of vessels. It is massive in size measuring 82 meters and has an anticipated delivery date of 2010. PJ World is designed to comply with Det Norske Veritas’ (DNV) Clean classification notation. In short, it means that the vessel’s owner and operator have chosen to comply with stricter limitations on air emissions and sea discharges. Among other things, the restrictions govern the use of refrigerants and TBT-based antifouling paint, specify how sewage and other waste water gets treated onboard, and regulates combustion-machinery emissions of nitrogen and sulfur oxides.
Any celebration without music is dead! And when its time for Earth Day celebrations, a dose of green rock music sure sounds good. A group of students have come together at ASU to put up a concert that will be powered by solar energy. The whole system will be powered by a solar-powered generator. Led by Peachcake and Ringleader, the whole idea to is to generate awarness about the need to care for our planet and environment. Also they intend to educate all that sun’s power can be used for such entertainment purposes too. ETA Engineering and Dependable Solar Products, Inc. donated the solar-panel trailer for the concert. The solar panels will collect energy from the sun through an inverter, which will convert energy from a direct current into an alternating current. Ten 208-watt solar panels on the trailer will juice out 10 kilowatt hours of energy per day. Time to rock in a green style to show our concern for our own planet!
[Asuwebdevil]
Construction these days come in such amusing designs that you are tempted to buy a copy of Ayn Rand’s Fountain Head and be inspired firmly to be an architect. A 1.5 MW solar thermal power plant, Dahan, is being planned to be built near Beijing starting next month. It will be located near China’s Great Wall and is designed to supply power to 30,000 households by 2010.
As this world races to keep up its health quotients, it is more often than not the thought of how lazy and comfortable it has become seeps into the mind. Toyota known to make such wonderful cars has come with this unique technology to its next generation Prius range. The new range will feature the option for you to cool the heat in your car by the time you reach your car. It is by using the car’s battery to power remote activation of the air-conditioner. Up to three minutes before you get in the car, the car will be cooled down so that you don’t feel a heat wave hit you by opening the door and getting in.
Indulging in the audio-visual luxury of a home theater can be threatening on electricity bills. But Richard Glikes has a green solution for this. The executive director of Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA) has unveiled the Guiltless Green Home Theater” for guilt-free experience. This solar-powered home theater renders about 19 hours of grid-free HT viewing. Four solar panels powered up a Sharp projector, a 100″ Stewart Filmscreen, six SpeakerCraft in-wall speakers, an Integra AV receiver, Monster Cable wiring, Lutron lighting and Universal Remote Control. The furniture is from Salamander. The whole designing and installation was taken care by HiFi House with little help from LG Energy solutions. No more escalating bills with such a green theater system!
[Dealerscope]
We have reported about solar powered electric vehicle charging stations in Japan and US. Today we move on to another continent – Europe. Germany too boasts of a solar “fuel” station located in a high-traffic area of Frankfurt. Evergreen Solar has tweaked the electric charging station with solar panels to juice up six charging ports. These panels soak sun to render about 21 kWh of electricity which in turn provides free charging to electric vehicles including Velotaxis, Segways, electric bikes and scooters.
[CleanBeta]
