Environmental News, Eco-Friendly Gadgets - FreshAirTimes.eu

In the quest for developing alternate recyclable energy sources, perhaps the greatest potential lies in the development of commercially viable energy from the abundant sunshine our planet receives each day. The popular method of harvesting solar power lies with direct collection of the sun’s energy on huge solar-energy collectors. More than a hundred years ago, a French physicist Jacques Arsene d’Arsonoval proposed generating electricity from the ocean. The Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology is the method of running heat generators by using the temperature difference between the upper and lower levels of the sea to produce electricity
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For starters, I do not sell real estate and I have absolutely no personal motives involved in this. But when a green home needs a taker, then I’m more than willing to give it a little rub. That is exactly why we are discussing this wonderful home just a drive away from Ontario. It is a home of 24 X 28 with loft - cathedral ceiling which has been professionally built by Post & Beam Construction. The home looks beautiful and is obviously placed in a location that is game for photography of wildlife. (I do not like to promote ‘hunting’ as a sport or a pass time) (more…)

I recently came across this modern-day gadget, which is a Solar Powered Air Purifier-cum-Disinfector. Well, can you think of any such useful and environmentally safe gadget? I can’t. So, I feel this product is indeed contemporary and distinctive. The best attribute of this product is that it can be conveniently powered either by solar energy or by charging its lithium batteries. The product is handy (can fit well within 20 square meter of available space) and consumes less than 5W of power. With all the latest technology in place, such as Advance active carbon HEPA filter technology, Space capsule plasma purification technology and Nanometer light-accelerating air purification, it can effectively purify or disinfect surrounding air. Other additional features include refreshing the air by anions, effective ozone purification capabilities and a decent input voltage of 12/24V DC.
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Solar Powered Bots, Blimps and Power Stations -let’s have a closer look into their functioning.

Second in the row comes Nevada Solar One Solar Power Station:-
Generating around 64MW power and well known for being the the third largest solar power plant on the planet, and the second thermal power plant built in the United States in more than 16 years. Energy produced by Nevada Solar One is enough to satisfy the need of around 14,000 households, surprisingly.

Now comes the turn of Teeny Tiny Solar Insect Robots:-

Make magazine’s this concept is mainly based on ‘do-it-yourself mindset’. Loaded with exciting projects, it aims at helping you make the most of your technology at home and even away from home! It won’t be wrong to say that this magazine here to chafe up the genius lying in you.

Arizona is going to add the largest solar jewel to the eco friendly crown of the planet as it is all set to build, own and operate what would be the largest solar power plant in the world if operating today. Abengoa Solar, a subsidiary of a multi-billion-dollar international technology company, has signed a contract with Arizona Public Service Co. (APS), one of Arizona’s leading energy utilities to makes sure that this amazing project actually crosses all the hurdles and materializes in to reality. The moment it is operational it will produce 280-Megawatts of energy and the plant will sell around $4 billion in clean electricity over 30 years.

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War, soldiers, ammunition—what do all these remind us of? Fights, destruction and severe environmental degradation, right? Well, there is a piece of welcome news for us! The uniforms of US soldiers are actually going to be eco-friendly, being powered by solar energy.

An all-new high-tech fabric is to be used in order to incorporate the solar-powered batteries into the cloth of the soldiers’ uniforms. This technique, while meeting the power requirements of an average US soldier (88 AA batteries), would also go a considerable way towards decreasing the weight associated with such batteries.
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Picture this, fiery laser beams shooting to various parts of the earth. No there are no meteors expected neither is this a description of war of the worlds part 2. This is something that all the solar energy enthusiasts should have done long back; harnessing sun’s energy right from infront of the source. JAXA or the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency is actually making a Space Solar Power System that would consist of a satellite type object. This object would be installed in the orbit nearly 22,400 miles above the earth’s surface and would catch sun’s rays. These rays would then be converted into laser beams and sent to different bases on earth. Something like friendly fire beams. Testing begins on 20th February and if successful (the whole thing will be complete by 2030), it would energise over 500, 000 homes for free!

Via: DailyPicture

Kennewick, Washington based Infinia (which is venture capital backed energy technology company) plans to launch Stirling solar dish, which is approximately the size of a large satellite TV receiver.

If you are wondering what is so different about Infinia’s solar Stirling dishes, well these 21-foot-high dishes instead of using photovoltaic cells use the sun’s heat to produce electricity. The technology used by Infinia is based on the 19th century Stirling engine design, which uses differences in gas temperature to turn a piston. These solar dishes from Infinia are essentially being targeted at larger organizations such as city governments, though I feel they can also be used in villages across countries like India to provide electricity…and all without a grid connection. (more…)

Taking to air and flying through the clouds has always fascinated the human intellect and still continues to do so even after a century of the first flight. It is amazing how we have come such a long way forward in aviation technology, yet one wonders if we need to now think of stuff that is away from the beaten path. The design and working of the carriers that take flight across the planet seem so rigid and it is almost as if we have resigned to following a set pattern. While modern aviation because of all its commercial reasons concentrates on developing speed and safety simultaneously, it seems we have lost flair fro individuality.

I still wonder when that machine is going to come which will finally allow me to fly and when I say ‘me’, I mean only me and none else. Flying is not just about traveling fast and safe but about a certain sense of freedom. I suppose such wings of freedom in future will only be created and powered by the energy of the sun. With the aviation industry getting plenty of stick for being a demon against the environment, it does not surprise one to see them moving forward in an eco-friendly fashion; even if the progress is a bit slow.
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In the race of finding alternate power source, we have something windy now. According to the International Journal of Sustainable Design, we have gone one step ahead with two brilliant researchers, namely Jyotirmay Mathur and Rajeev Kathpalia from the Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, India. The duo have developed a ‘solar chimney–wind tower concept’, which is based on the primitive and passive method of cooling buildings.

The duo claims that though this technique had already been used to keep the interior of the buildings cool in summer, they have incorporated more scientific and modern methods to add more value to the older system. Developed for a so-called fully urban building in Delhi, this duo has decided to utilize the natural resources to the fullest, walking side by side with the limitations of the site. As the name suggests, their system combines a solar chimney and a wind tower to the overall building design. Their method uses a stone covered wind tower to push in the cool air inside the building, which again pushes the hot air outside through the thermal conducting panels of the chimney.
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