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Team Velozzi creating sexy Automotive X-Prize participant
While we've seen a couple of entrants into the Automotive X-Prize competition so far, Team Velozzi has announced a showstopper of a vehicle that will reportedly be created for the contest. Aiming to craft a vehicle that gets around 200 miles-per-gallon and receives locomotion from potent Li-ion batteries, the R&D group's potential participant currently resembles vehicles from some of the more exotic of automakers. Curiously, the company's website insinuates that it wants the vehicle to be "mainstream," but with specs consisting of a full carbon-fiber body / chassis, Brembo brakes and racing suspension, a multi-format hybrid energy system, "high-end interior," a Weismann F1 transmission, and twin AC electric engines, we can't exactly imagine this supercar fitting into the average joe's (or jane's) budget. Still, there's no denying the sexy regardless of cost, so be sure to hit the links below to get a more in-depth view of Velozzi's forthcoming automobile.[Via AutoblogGreen]
Blow Light: the wind generated LED toy
While the message of living a greener life seems to be pounded into our ears on a regular basis, it's never too early to get your offspring in on the energy-conserving fun. The Blow Light toy from Nigel's Eco Store features a simplistic, kid-friendly design that's sure to require a lot of attention, as the miniature pinwheel doesn't light up and excite without a little effort on your youngster's behalf. The internal blue and green LED lights remain dormant until a gust of wind (or hot air) starts the spinning, subsequently lighting up the device and eliciting smiles all around. Of course, with no batteries required, the price on this uber-green toy tends to be a bit higher than the mass market alternatives, but at least your £9.99 ($20) won't be fueling the proverbial fire.[Via Inhabitat]
UK's CIS Solar Tower garners 390-kilowatts from the sun
We're not entirely sure if Manchester's CIS Solar Tower will be the world's grandest solar tower, but in terms of buildings have moved beyond the drawing board, it definitely packs a punch. Reportedly, the flaky construction led to dilapidating walls, which were then replaced by a much greener solution -- 7,244 Sharp 80W photovoltaic panels, to be precise. Curiously, only 4,898 of the modules are actually functional, but they still soak up enough sunlight to generate 390-kilowatts of energy, or in layman's terms, enough juice to "power 1,000 PCs for a year." Additionally, the roof is home to two dozen wind turbines that generate 10-percent of the total power used in the building. Of course, such an endeavor did ring up at a steep £5.675 million ($11.4 million), but we're pretty certain this solar panel makeover was concerned with matters other than dollars and cents. Click on through for a top-down shot.[Via MetaEfficient]
San Diegans convert carbon dioxide to fuel via solar energy
Being Earth Week and all, it's not too surprising to hear of San Diegans stretching their mental might and figuring out an effective way to convert carbon dioxide to fuel, but according to the University of California, San Diego, that's precisely what they've done. Clifford Kubiak and Aaron Sathrum have reportedly developed a prototype device "that can capture energy from the sun, convert it to electrical energy, and split carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and oxygen." Interestingly, this concept produces more than just an alternate source of fuel, as CO2 splitting also creates a "useful industrial chemical" in CO, and furthermore, helps reduce a greenhouse gas. Currently, they are building the device using a gallium-phosphide semiconductor, and while the existing rendition still requires "additional energy" outside of sheer sunlight for the process to work, they're hoping that the American Chemical Society will warm up to the idea and give 'em a helping hand.[Via Physorg, thanks Richard N.]
UK households to get "free" energy monitors
The environmentalists in the UK have certainly been earning their paychecks of late, as it's been the Brits who have looked at outlawing standby buttons, offered up a way to kill power en masse, and now, officials are readying the launch of free household energy monitors to bring wasteful habits to light. As a part of the upcoming Energy White Paper, England is hoping that the real-time monitors "will help cut greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of energy wasted by appliances being left on standby." The devices are supposed to give dwellers a quick look at just how much energy is going to waste by leaving the bathroom light on, and a handheld extension allows you to view the killowatt-burning action from all over your domicile. Of course, it should be noted that while citizens can request one for free starting sometime in 2008, "the cost of the scheme will either be recouped through taxes or their energy bills."[Image courtesy of MoreAssociates]
Portasol Solar Tracker continuously faces the sun
Although solar panels are becoming more and more efficient, one of the most glaring oversights in solar technology has been the inability for panels to autonomously move along with the sun and maximize the energy it could take in. The Portasol Tracker, however, is aiming to change all that, as a market-ready rendition is finally set after seven years of testing. The Hydrasolar panel utilizes hydraulic motors along with sophisticated "passive solar trackers to affect the thermal expansion and contraction of a contained liquid to make the device rotate." Essentially, the movement of the liquid causes the panel to spin to the west along with the sun as the day passes on, ensuring that the maximum amount of energy is garnered during those precious daylight hours. Currently, a small selection of models and mounting options are becoming available, and while hard pricing doesn't yet seem to be available, feel free to hit the links below for a smattering of pics and even a quick video overview.[Via MAKE]
Steorn delivers... a waffling video, loose tech specs
Steorn delivered as promised. No, not Orbo and its promise of "infinite clean energy." Not even the technical details behind their seemingly improbably invention. Rather, they've produced a rather uninspiring Q1 video update for a "rightly skeptical world." We now know that of the 5,000 applicants for the jury, just under a 1000 were qualified to participate. Of these, only 22 experts had the scientific know-how (and, free time) to assess the technology -- testing which seems both under way and about to begin depending upon how you interpret the release. Nevertheless, in July Steorn will host a public demonstration of the technology in London. The event will allow anyone to "pretty much get hands-on with who we are and what the technology does." Fortunately, it will also be broadcast live across the Intertubes. Until then, you'll have to make do with the video update after the break with the possibility of more details later in the day.[Thanks, Chris]Update: Steorn also "updated" their tech specs page, with more of the same totally jargon-tastic claims and not much new information. Operating on the principle of "time variant magneto-mechanical interactions", Orbo will supposedly convert mechanical energy to electrical via normal means of generation; they expect power density of 0.5 Watts per cubic centimeter. Any physicists in the room prepared to dive in?
NSSO ponders harvesting solar energy via satellites
When you've already got colleagues dreaming up space sunshades, all of a sudden harvesting energy from outside of the Earth's atmosphere doesn't sound like such a stretch. Apparently, ambitious individuals at the Pentagon's National Security Space Office (NSSO) may "begin a study in the near future on the possibility of using satellites to collect solar energy for use on Earth." Notably, the plan actually seeks to not only provide an alternate source of fuel to the oil-dependent dwellers here on Mother Earth, but it would hopefully provide ample energy "to US troops in bases or on the battlefield." As impossible as it may sound, the present probably isn't a bad time to consider such an endeavor now that solar cells are becoming increasingly efficient, and since an actual deployment wouldn't even be in the cards until "around 20 years" from now, it's not like there's oodles of time to waste.[Via Wired]
Georgia Tech researchers develop environmentally-powered nanogenerators
While the school of the Ramblin' Wreck may be best known for its barrage of engineering graduates, the university has been on quite the medical trip of late, as researchers have reportedly developed a nanometer-scale generator after already cranking out nanowires that monitor your blood pressure. The aptly-named nanogenerators can produce "continuous direct-current electricity by harvesting mechanical energy from such environmental sources as ultrasonic waves, mechanical vibration or blood flow," which translates into easy energy for implanted and worn medical gadgetry of the future. Interestingly, the project was funded by the likes of the National Science Foundation and our pals at DARPA, and while this invention may not quite match up with wireless charging (hey, we're scared of hospitals), the concept is novel nonetheless. So if you were hoping that dreams of implanted analysis of your vitals would suddenly cease, things aren't looking up for you.[Via MedGadget]
Steorn teases with a reveal date: Friday, April 13th
We're going to try and not read too much into this whole Friday the 13th date, and just give you the straight facts: Steorn promises to be "releasing the update on the Jury process and so on" of its seemingly first-law-of-thermodynamics-denying Orbo "free energy" product on April 13th. Steorn has been promising technical information about the invention and jury results for a while now, originally saying "first quarter" 2007. So if we use our imaginations -- as we apparently are exercising to the fullest to even entertain Steorn's Orbo claims -- we can just pretend April 13th is still Q1 and sit tight for the (hopefully) big reveal.[Via Steorn Orbo, thanks Phil]
Prius hack utilizes Vehicle-to-Grid technology to power your crib
For those of you Prius owners who felt the novelty of a hybrid vehicle was finally wearing off, a whole host of new hacks are starting to emerge, which should go quite a ways in expanding the utility of your gas-sipping whip. When you're not cruising around at the tune of 116 mpg, you can purportedly flip the power in reverse and actually juice up your house with your ride. A prototype system being demonstrated by California's Pacific Gas and Electric Company utilizes Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology to actually send power in reverse to energize a few in-home lights, appliances, and of course, Wii exercise sessions. Potentially more interesting is the possibility to actually "sell back energy to the utility during hot afternoons when demand is highest and most costly to avoid blackouts." No word just yet on when this stuff will be rolled out en masse, but if you needed just one more reason to plunk down for a Prius, it doesn't get much better than this.[Via The Raw Feed]
Hybrid Technologies' all electric L1X-75 impresses off the line
No doubt we've seen our fair share of electric speedsters that can actually oust the more exotic (albeit fuel-powered) counterparts in off the line speed, but Hybrid Technologies' L1X-75 can rocket you from zero to sixty in a mere 3.1 oh-so-silent seconds. The 600-horsepower machine is crafted from a carbon-fiber frame, sports no luxurious amenities such as sheep skin floor mats, umbrellas in the boot, or even an AM radio, and can purportedly hit a top speed of around 175 miles-per-hour. Additionally, the eye-catching ride sports a 10,000 rpm redline, and the Li-ion-powered induction motors get all the juice it needs from your AC outlet. Unfortunately, there was no mention of when we'd see these sneaking into dealerships, but if you'll hit the read link below, you'll encounter a test drive video that shows off its fuel-shunning pizazz.[Via Slashdot]
Mileage maniacs hack Toyota's Prius for 116 mpg
In a presumed attempt to prove questionable reports about the Prius' true fuel efficiency dead wrong, a Japanese group of mileage maniacs (or nenpimania) have assembled to push their hybrids to the brink and utilize a sly combination of hackery and zen-ish ways to elicit extreme miles per gallon figures. One such enthusiast burns his gas money on special tires, cardboard surround for the engine bay (saywha?), and blocks of foam rubber that occupy the grill, and somehow manages about 100 mpg by "hacking into the Toyota's computer" and carefully manipulating the accelerator with just his large toe. One upping even him, however, is a fellow mpg freak dubbed Teddy-Girl, who has reportedly become such a master of the "pulse and glide" method of driving that she can crank out 116 miles on a single gallon of fuel. Of course, sustaining such numbers on even mild inclines is entirely unlikely, and we're fairly sure you're hearing best case scenarios with all these gaudy numbers, but until we're all cruising in purely electric whips, this doesn't sound like a half bad approach to keep those trips to the pump at a minimum.[Via The Raw Feed]
Powercast looking to bring wireless power to reality
We know, energy without wires has always seemed like one of those novel concepts that sounds terrific in theory, but remains a tad difficult to imagine hitting the commercial scene for some time to come. Apparently, all that is about to become nonsense, as a Pennsylvania-based startup is set to capture the wireless-loving hearts of, um, everyone when it tackles contactless power products. Powercast has already "signed nondisclosure agreements to develop products with more than 100 companies (Philips, for instance), including major manufacturers of cellphones, MP3 players, automotive parts, temperature sensors, hearing aids, and medical implants." The firm's radio-wave-receiving miracle device trumps existing attempts by "adjusting to variations in load and field strength while maintaining a constant DC voltage," essentially ensuring that only low wattages (read: the stuff that garners FCC admiration) are flung around. The system basically consists of two parts -- a wall-plug transmitter and a "dime-sized receiver" that handles the real magic -- and energy is instantly transmitted whenever that disc comes within a yard or so of its tag-team partner. Incredibly, the receiver only costs "about $5" to produce, yet the outfit has already secured upwards of $10 million in private funding, which translates into one less American that desperately needs to win the lottery. Get ready folks, if all goes well, Powercast will be shipping "many millions of units" by the end of 2008 -- and maybe even sooner.[Via TWW]
Survey sez LED lit parking garages seem safer
We had a sneaking suspicion that there was an ulterior motive behind Raleigh getting lit up as the "world's first LED city," and aside from savings tons of dough on energy bills over the next decade or so, it seems to make motorists feel a good bit safer, too. According to a before and after survey conducted by Mindwave Research, the number of respondents who "perceived the garage as very safe increased by 76-percent after the LED fixtures were installed." Admittedly, the newfangled lighting certainly added a new level of brightness to the situation, and the number of individuals who gave the garage an overall rating of "excellent" increased by 100-percent in response. The (unnecessarily lengthy) survey also added a few more minor figures to further prove that LED lighting is simply superior to the other stuff , but we're not yet sure if Cree will successfully use this ammunition to grab even more contracts to freshen up the city lights.
Two-killowatt laser heats coffee, wows onlookers
Lasers have found their way into the hearts of modders everywhere, and while this latest case doesn't guide missiles or remove hair, it does make a mean cup of joe. All you'll need is a sturdy mug, coffee grinds (or a tea bag, whichever you prefer), a bit of water, and a spare two-kilowatt laser to get things a steamin'. Sure, there's most certainly a few alternatives to accomplish this same task with a lot less hassle, but there's just no substitute to making your office a round of java with a commercial-grade laser. Now, how about we give this a go with a 67-kilowatt version? Click on through for the vid.[Via Hack-A-Day]
Questionable report claims Hummer is greener than Prius
You won't have to look too hard in order to find a report or two claiming that hybrid vehicles aren't as miraculous as they are oftentimes portrayed, but when a recent article declared that Toyota's flagship hybrid was more taxing on the environment than a Hummer, you've got to wonder what's going on. Incredibly, the questionable findings from CNW Marketing stated that GM's gas guzzler only cost about $1.95 per mile to put on the road, while the Prius rang up $3.25 per mile in order to hit the pavement. Reportedly, these zany numbers include all production costs -- which supposedly run around 50-percent higher on the hybrid -- but the story started to smell fishy when we found that the per-mile statistics were based on a 100,000-mile Prius and a 300,000-mile Hummer, which seems to be a stretch in both directions. Currently, there seems to be a huge amount of skepticism surrounding the bold figures, and until the testers place both vehicles on a level playing field from the start, we doubt those discrepancies will fade anytime soon.[Via Slashdot]
SolCool showcases new solar-powered air conditioners
Not exactly fitting the "startup" criteria any longer, SolCool is apparently freshening up its product lines by offering a snazzy new solar-powered air conditioner. Aimed at cooling smaller areas than its two-ton hybrid chiller, the 24- x 24- x 48-inch V4 actually touts cooling and heating abilities, runs on a 24-volt system, and can supposedly kick out comfortable air for "up to 24 hours" once fully charged by the sun. Additionally, the device will be equipped with two DC compressors capable of producing up to 18,000 BTUs, a ducted ventilation blower, lightweight / rugged skin, condensate management tank, remote control thermostat, and it can even be configured for use in the US or UK. Unfortunately, details specifications and pricing information hasn't been divulged to the general public just yet, but considering that Spring has now sprung, you should probably expect a bit more promotional information to surface relatively soon.[Via Gadgets-Weblog]
University of Edinburgh crafts energy efficient FPGA supercomputer
Considering that ATI and NVIDIA don't seem to be making any substantial strides in reducing the amount of energy required to run their products, it's a tad surprising to hear of an entire supercomputer running a bit leaner than the competition. Hoping on the ever-growing green bandwagon, University of Edinburgh developers are at it again, this time crafting an uber-speedy machine that's reportedly "ten times more energy efficient and up to 300 times faster than its traditional equivalents." Based on field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), the chips are not only very difficult to program, but they can currently only be used "to perform very specific tasks." Of course, the creators are more interested in the extreme number crunching and power saving abilities than anything else, and while no commercial uses have been identified just yet, the machines could purportedly be used in fields such as "drug design, defense and seismology."[Via CNET]
EaglePicher claims "world's smallest" implantable battery
We've just about had our fill of "world's smallest" gizmos this week, but when it comes to a new development in the battery realm, we certainly won't complain with delivering power in a less burdensome manner. Vancouver's own EaglePicher Medical Power has recently announced plans to unveil the "industry's smallest implantable-grade medical battery," which comes in at a mere .26-inches long and .09-inches in diameter. Unsurprisingly, the primary application is to handle tasks inside your body, such as deploying it via a "minimally-invasive catheter procedure" rather than implanting it through surgery. The aptly-named Micro Battery is based around a proprietary cell construction designed by the company, and while we're always weary of such lofty claims to a product that hasn't hit commercialization yet, it can purportedly provide power for "more than 15 years." Just make sure you pencil in a changeout date about a decade from now if this thing ends up connected to your future pacemaker, cool? [Warning: PDF read link][Via MedGadget]
