A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience
Shoppers’ cars will be used to power supermarket tills in a revolutionary new scheme.
The weight of vehicles driving over road plates into a new eco store will power a generator that creates enough electricity to keep checkouts ringing.
Continue reading… “Supermarkets Will Soon Be Powered By Shoppers Cars”
The world’s first mass-produced zero-emission minicar, the “i-MiEV”, is all set to debut in Japan next month, which promises to usher in a new age of driving that does not require fossil fuel.
Continue reading… “World’s First Mass-Produced Zero Emission Car To Hit Roads Soon”
Ice Energy, a leading provider of distributed energy storage and smart grid solutions for optimizing energy system efficiency, has been awarded the Silver prize in the 22nd Excellence in Design Awards competition for its Ice Bear energy storage system. Sponsored by Appliance Design Magazine, the award honors creative and technically savvy product designs in the global appliance industry.
Continue reading… “Ice Bear Can Reduce Air Conditioning Energy Demand By 95%”
Sharp announces the ultimate cellphone for use outdoors. It is the world’s first waterproof and solar-powered mobile phone.
Continue reading… “World’s First Waterproof Solar-Powered Cellphone”
The idea of harnessing solar power from space has been around for a while; Asimov included it in at least two of his stories that I remember-but may finally be a reality come 2016.
Continue reading… “California Utility To Get Energy From Solar Space Cell By 2016”
You are looking at 1301 fluorescent bulbs planted in an English farm, powered entirely by electrical fields generated by the power lines that float in curves over the top of this field. (PIcs)
Continue reading… “‘FIELD’ of Fluorescent Bulbs Powered By Ambient Electricity”
In the race to renewable energy, organic solar cells are now really starting to take off. They can be manufactured easily and cheaply, they have low environmental impact, and since they are compatible with flexible substrates, they could be used in many applications such as packaging, clothing, flexible screens, or for recharging cell phones and laptops.
Continue reading… “Organic Solar Cells Starting To Take Off In The Renewable Energy Field”
Tapping waste heat from industries could cut down fossil fuel use and improve efficiency of countless manufacturing processes, says a study.
Continue reading… “Fossil Fuel Use Could Be Cut By Tapping Into Industrial Heat”
Fishing for Power?
Harnessing the power of swimming fish could hold the key to generating electricity to power Britain’s homes in the future, according to Government scientists.
The Environment Agency’s Horizon Scanning Team found the nation’s rivers are full of untapped energy in the form of fish migrating upstream.
By installing networks of electric prongs along the riverbed, the energy can be captured and fed into the National Grid.
Environmentalists welcomed the opportunity to not only generate clean energy but ensure rivers are maintained for wildlife.
Continue reading… “Swimming Fish Could Be Key To Generating Electricity For UK Homes”
Power generated from flowing blood, simple body movements or a gentle breeze could one day be converted to electricity to charge iPods, cell phones and other personal electronic devices.
Continue reading… “Electronic Gadgets Could One Day Be Powered By Blood Flow”
A new incarnation of lithium-ion batteries based on solid polymers is in the works. Berkeley, CA-based startup Seeo, Inc. says its lithium-ion cells will be safer, longer-lasting, lighter, and cheaper than current batteries. Seeo’s batteries use thin films of polymer as the electrolyte and high-energy-density, light-weight electrodes. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is now making and testing cells designed by the University of California, Berkeley spinoff.
Continue reading… “Cheaper And More Reliable Lithium-Ion Batteries”
From mundane traffic overpasses to marvelous feats of soaring engineering, bridges are something we tend to take for granted – until something goes wrong that is. A team from the University of Michigan is leading a five-year, $19 million project to engineer an intelligent infrastructure monitoring system designed to prevent tragedies like the collapse of the Interstate 35 West bridge over the Mississippi river in 2007 in which 13 people were killed and 145 were injured.
Continue reading… “Intelligent Bridge Monitoring System To Prevent Tragedies”
