Environmental News, Eco-Friendly Gadgets - FreshAirTimes.eu

Eco Factor: Unmanned aircraft powered by solar energy.

Aurora Flight Sciences has announced that the company successfully flew their latest solar powered UAV, the SunLight Eagle. The flights took place at the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Test Center operated by the Physical Science Laboratory of New Mexico State University. The news came just days after the company announced the successful completion of a solar aircraft from DARPA’s Vulture Program.

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This is just incredible. Just when I had started thinking that all that there was to be turned eco-friendly was made so, I was proved wrong. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that mosquito repellants could be eco-friendly!

This 16.5 x 10 x 9cm death-trap for mosquitoes lures the unsuspecting insects with a blue LED light and signs their death certificates with a high voltage (minimum 1000V) electrified grill. Nothing unique so far.
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Now the foldable, high performance CIGS solar panel is here. You can carry not only your gadgets, butt he power source for all those with you, while traveling. The panel is multi-sectioned to let folding it easily for both storage and use. Once charged by the sun, you can generate 52W of power from its state-of-the-art Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide panels.

For more output, you can link up to three units together. Importantly, its built-in blocking diode prevents battery from discharging, thus, can work in all weather types, in low-light conditions as well! With its 12V output, you can play video and change digital cameras; laptops and dvd players. Above all, its lightweight compact design makes it the most compatible travel-friend.

Via: redferret

U.S. Ausra, Inc. is going to establish the first solar thermal manufacturing plant in Las Vegas, Nevada. It has been announced that the plant will be 130,000 sq. ft. in area. It is going to have highly automatic manufacturing and distribution center and will produce the key components of the company’s solar thermal power plants.

The headquarter of Ausra is in Palo Alta, CA and this company has signed agreements so as to provide solar thermal power plants to several places of utility. The latest one is for California where a plant of 177 MW is planned to be build for Pacific Gas & Electric. The best among other qualities of solar thermal power plants is that it will provide electricity at zero pollution level and that too at the market rate. Its capacity is to produce 700MW per year and is more than sufficient for 500,000 homes.

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Emcore Corp is a well-known supplier of space based solar power and communication systems and has formed a solar power division so that it can apply this advanced technology for the benefits of the territories. It has now signed a contract with Pod Generating Group in Ontario, Canada where it has to supply 60MW of solar power systems.

Multi-junction solar cells provided by Emcore are then combined into concentric photovoltaic (CPV) array. The solar power gets concentrated onto the multi junction cells with the help of lenses and mirrors through CPV technology. With the help of concentrator 1 cm square generates the same amount of power as will be the output by 500 sq, cm, without the concentrator. The cost part is taken care of by using low cost materials in the manufacturing unit and is cost effective too as compared to the typical silicon modules.

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Riding with no number signs, no insurance and no driving license makes things quite simple and less cumbersome. Off course I’m taking about a bicycle, but things don’t stop here, most active people own or have owned a bicycle at one time. Unfortunately, good percentages keep the bike in the garage and seldom take it out for a ride. There are many reasons offered for this situation, many of them involving weak knees, old age, brittle bones and lack of a partner to go with them. Keeping all these things in mind here is a bicycle called PedElec, It’s a human-electric hybrid bicycle that is designed for the demanding electric vehicle enthusiasts. The PedElec has surprisingly impressive performance characteristics. With a top speed of 16 to 17 mph using solely electric power, the PedElec can easily achieve speeds of around 25 mph with some pedaling from the rider. The PedElec has a lot of low end torque also, which allows for quick acceleration.
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The reservoir of swimming health benefits is really comprehensive. This aerobic exercise is in real demand in the present times, owing to the reason that people tend to enjoy water sports. It ensures the well being of your heart and lungs. It enhances the flexibility of your joints and provides the scope for boosting your physical activity workout level, thus helping a great deal in your weight loss program, but what we forget is that these pools aren’t all that green – the eclectic cost to keep the pumps running is way too high, debris, chemicals used in cleaning the pool etc. What do we do? Solar options are growing to cut the carbon footprints of your pool, options such as this solar powered pool robotic skimmer (a much greener approach for swimmers).
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United States has caused more than enough devastation in Iraq over the past couple of years. It seems as if the allied forces would be stationed there forever. But then we are not here to discuss the political flaws of the strategy in Iraq or to take a pro or anti Bush stand. (With the later being the most favorite topic of most people who do not find anything to fill their columns up with) Irrespective of all the political implications and motives, the war on Iraq surely has environmental effects that are going to haunt the region for decades to come.

But it seems that some people in US at least are trying to make amends for the damage done. Well, at least it looks like that on the face of it. WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corporation are embarking on a venture in which they will soon be shipping 12 of their Mobile MaxPure solar-powered water purification systems to the US military, which will use them to bring clean fresh water to farmers and families in the Euphrates Valley region of Iraq. The venture is being financed by The Morrell Foundation of Bluffdale, Utah. The entire project would cost them around $900,000.

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Researchers from Europe, Japan and the US are considering the viability of building giant solar panels in Earth’s lower orbit that would supply cheap, inexhaustible energy to industry and homes. Building a huge array outside the Earth’s atmosphere would have the advantage of having no clouds to interrupt the flow of solar energy to the arrays. Certainly a viable thought, but it’s a matter of developing the technology to make the solar panels cheaper, to send them into the sky and have the energy conversion to microwaves or optical lasers which then would beam the energy down to Earth.

Via: BBCnews

Violetta Solargear VS01 is a pocket sized solar battery charger designed for charging AA/AAA batteries, as well as batteries of small electronic devices such as cellular phones, PDA’s, digital cameras, CD players, portable games and other appliances. It is an economical and environmentally friendly power source, which can charge rechargeable AA/AAA batteries up to 1000 times! It is a perfect companion for your mobile appliances, since it is small in size and portable. It is reliable, durable and good for outdoor use.

Via: Device