Environmental News, Eco-Friendly Gadgets - FreshAirTimes.eu

Solar energy is one of the most impressive and easily available sources of green energy that has the potential to power everything from the PMPs we carry to the cars we drive. Toyota has already started exploring the potential of solar energy by announcing that it will use solar panels in its next-generation Prius hybrid car. While this car would just use the energy to run the car’s AC, some designers have shown the way cars could completely be powered by the energy falling from the sun. Check out ten such concepts one of which might just be your ride into the future.

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The need of the day is preservation of energy. It is probably a good way to fix, to some extent, the damage already done to the environment and to prevent further damage in a big way. Much work is being carried on to promote energy preservation. Here is a fresh and refreshingly ingenuous idea from Adam Boesel’s Green Microgym in Seattle. Here, human sweat is used to genearte electricity!

Incredible, but absolutely true. It is done by connecting spinning bikes to wind-generator motors. The Total Body Turnaround is thus serving dual purpose: clients are getting their workout and generating enough electricity to run their music systems and DVD Players!
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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…)

The catamaran “sun21″ successfully made the first motorized crossing of the Atlantic with solar power. This definitely goes to prove the great potential of solar power for ocean navigation.

Sun21 arrived in New York City on 8 May 2007, after having traversed about 7000 sea miles. Sun21’s historic journey was made possible because of the sponsorship of the Swiss transatlantic21 Association.

The association has now donated the solar boat to the WWF Adena/Madrid, so that it can be used as a scientific research vessel.

I am sure with this amazing journey of Sun21, which not only successfully harnessed renewable energy but was also able to defy wind, waves and storms to reach its destination safely, more and more people will be motivated to use solar power.
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These solar powered lights are nice for outside decorating. It is so much easier when you don’t need to worry about extension cords and outlets. Not to mention, of course, that you get to save money and energy.
$19.98 at Amazon