Inhabitat's Week in Green: frozen energy, spray-on solar and the hydrogen peroxide helicopter
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.
It was a big week for green transportation as San Francisco broke ground on its massive green-roofed Transbay Transit Center and unveiled plans to install 5,000 EV charging stations throughout the Bay Area. We were also wowed by several fun new forms of alternative transportation - a single-person helicopter that emits nothing but water vapor and a human-powered car that can go 30 MPH while driving uphill!
It was also an exciting week for energy storage tech as New York prepared to power up the world's first grid-scale flywheel energy plant and researchers cracked the code on a new cryogenic energy storage system. We also showcased a plan for a ribbon-like solar field that unfurls over the desert and saw researchers unveil a transparent solar spray that can transform practically any surface into a sun-capturing source of energy.
In other news, solar tech energized the arena of interior lighting as we showcased an adorable solar-powered table lamp and were dazzled by this set of folding OLED origami lights. Finally, a team of scientists blew our minds with this light-bending invisibility cloak made from gold-coated silk.
It was also an exciting week for energy storage tech as New York prepared to power up the world's first grid-scale flywheel energy plant and researchers cracked the code on a new cryogenic energy storage system. We also showcased a plan for a ribbon-like solar field that unfurls over the desert and saw researchers unveil a transparent solar spray that can transform practically any surface into a sun-capturing source of energy.
In other news, solar tech energized the arena of interior lighting as we showcased an adorable solar-powered table lamp and were dazzled by this set of folding OLED origami lights. Finally, a team of scientists blew our minds with this light-bending invisibility cloak made from gold-coated silk.
How can they afford a new Transit Center? This is irresponsible government.
@BookishOwl This is America.
@BookishOwl Give me a break. This has been planned for decades, now. The station is paid by the stimulus bill thanks to the fact that it was planned. If you don't like our government, don't live in California.
@BookishOwl Not to mention that hte profits from high-speed rail will pay for this within the first two years it is operating. More than 70% of Californians support high-speed rail. Now go back into your hole.
@Trickymaster
+1, NIMBY alert
@Trickymaster
Great...the rest of America has to foot the idiots (Californians) bill.
I dont care if you support it.....you cant afford it.
California is in debt...thats not the time you build extravagant buildings.
@murc
Building industry needs more infrastructural projects such as these that will put AEC personel to work. This "we can't afford it" argument rings hollow when the most urgent thing this country needs to do is to put people to work, in order to end this recession.
@Wheres My Wheel
You dont put people to work, when it brings you further into debt.
If this building has being planned for a long time (which I dont doubt) then they should have procured funding for it...not take government bail-out money. Also, they need to stop their push for everything "green", its sucking them dry.
@murc
I'm pretty sure people have already explained why this isn't going to put anyone into debt. It's already been mentioned that it will A) pay for itself, and B) turn a profit after that, as well as stimulating the economy by buying building materials and paying workers. It's called an investment, and people have been doing it for thousands of years. Just because you don't understand what people do with their money doesn't mean they shouldn't do it.
Sounds shmexy.
@Engadget
This article keeps me waiting all week.
the ONLY good thing about Engadget ;p
The "world's first grid-scale flywheel energy plant" is hardly that at all.
Larger ones have been around for quite some time (especially to support tokamak fusion research reactors). For example, in Japan, they have a 51MW flywheel generator. Makes the 20MW look small.
When will people learn... water vapor is a greenhouse gas. Unless cooling and condensation/precipitation is assured (hint-- it isn't) things won't get better this way...
@Samurai Jack
Yea! Let's get rid of all the water!
Clouds do keep warm air in, but they also keep sunlight out, resulting in more stable temperatures. And yes, water vapour forms clouds.
@Samurai Jack
Are you saying for sure that such amounts of water vapor will have the same level of effect as current carbon dioxide projections, or something? Because otherwise, when will you learn?
Technology is supposed to help us go green, not people like Al Gore.
Exactly how fast do people walk in San Francisco?
This fabulous new transit center will open in 2017. That's a long ass time but after seeing what it's really gonna be like, I can't fricken wait!