Solar Used To Sterilize Med Equipment, Cook Food

A new solar apparatus has been created to use the sun to heat up water to create steam. This steam can be used for sterilizing equipments, medical apparatus, or to cool food.

As I understand it, this applies the same concept that is used on solar ovens. We tried it once weekend. I built a crummy version but it worked.

This new autoclave device can really help in situations and places where electricity is scarce or unreliable.

Harnessing the power of the sun is ageless. We all know that solar and other renewable power sources is key to cleaner environment and, one day, will wield us off the current energy sources that produce green house gases.

In first world conditions, we don't worry about cooking oil, having clean water (unless you live in a fracking zone), or electricity. But these same renewable tech should be given equal considerations in helping third world nations or far off villages with their basic and medical needs.

This new implementation by Rice University is called the Capteur Soleil.

There is no mention how soon this tech will reach those who needs it but soon the better. And hopefully, sooner.

More at Earthtechling.

Green: DIY Back-Up Battery Solution?

Anyone out there have information on solutions for a back-up battery system for a home? Maybe a consumer product solution have created one for yourself?

I got to thinking about what's going in Japan with the earthquake, tsunami, and problems with their nuclear facilities, I think even in LA, there is something we can do individually.

After all, Japan is a first world country and look at what's happened since the 8.9 earthquake from last Friday. Though I cannot be certain if the media reports match the facts on the ground, you'd think this earthquake has broken the back of the Japanese society and economy.

My idea is to get going on a solar leash with one of those solar companies like Solar City. I'll be doing some research on this to see if this is the right solution for me. But if it does work out, my idea is this:

I want to create or buy (hopefully affordable) backup battery or something that can sustain my household needs a few hours at a time should natural disaster hit and we end up being without power for weeks.

Any help in point me in that direction would be great.

President Obama's Meeting With Tech CEOs: We Need A Steve Jobs Or Henry Ford For Green Tech

At the moment, at the writing of this post, President Obama is meeting with a few of Silicon Valley's heavyweights, Apple's iconic leader Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt. And though there are many thoughts and conjectures about what the meeting could or should be about, there is one thing that I think many missed.

Green tech. And right now even with tens of billions invested by the federal and state governments in incentives and grants and private investments, we are still a long way from getting off foreign oil and those pesky climate warming (or changing) coal.

What we need is a Steve Jobs for green tech. What we need is for President Obama to ask one of those tech visionaries to leave his current position and take up post at a new company that would revolutionize energy conservation and renewable energy production.

Imagine a healthy Steve being talked into taking reign of this new company. And it would have to be a private enterprise, perhaps with some grants from the government. That is as far as governmental involvement should be.

As a matter of fact, the Obama Administration should clear a path for this Steve Jobs led endeavor to succeed.

And how would Steve Jobs be convinced by this challenge? Better question is why would he do this?

Because Steve is Steve. The man who revolutionized computers, brought us the iPod, unleashed on the mobile market a device unlike anything they have seen before, and has once change how we work and play with the iPad.

Because it not him, who? Zuckerberg? Exactly.

And most importantly, Because Steve Jobs' ego is big enough for the challenge.

And yes, I am optimistic that Steve Jobs will beat what ailment he is offering from and has a lot of milage left to change the world again. Maybe even twice over.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

Green: Volts Arriving At Dealerships

Well, Christmas is almost upon up and the calendar is just an artificial timeline that repeats ever 12 months and 365 days.  I remember for me, Christmas came last April when I lined up at the Apple store for my iPad.  And for some, this will be the GM's Volt that is said to be arriving at dealerships.  And I'm a believer that the Volt will usher in a new era of EV and fuel efficient vehicles in the coming decade.

The Prius and the Insight has done much to help gain attention in the media and the mind set of everyone who wanted fuel efficient cars and to reduce their carbon footprint.  The arrival of the Volt will take that another step.  Able to drive between 35-40 miles before burning any petro is something that most people will be interested in.

Furthermore, Volt is coming at a time of GM's rebirth after being bailed out by the government.  Whether libertarians and conservatives find varying degrees of disgust at government intervention or not, the technology behind the Volt is going to change the dynamics of the auto industry as oil begins another march towards $100 a barrel.

Also imagine a future where individual homes are outfitted with solar panels that can power our cars as well.  The Volt is the first step in that direction.  Together with self-generating homes capable of generating homes, EV can also help out with the power grid during peak hours as well.  

Personally, I can't be more excited about this.  As far as game changers go, folks, you'll want to mark this day.  The Volt is a big deal.

More at Green Prophet.

Miltary Green: Not Just About Uniform, Also About Renewable Power

The Secretary of the US Navy hopes to have the Navy and Marine use renewable sources to provide 50% of its power needs by 2020. The impact of this is huge beyond just national security concerns.

Already, being deployed into the war theaters are solar gears and tents. The USAF is make sure its squadrons of warplanes are certified to use biofuels.

Again, great for national security but also great for civilians. In the long term, the research into renewable power with Pentagon’s back should speed up new tech deployment as well as drive down cost over the long-run. And the new tech and lower costs will eventually trickle down to non-military markets.

Don’t think so? Think Cold War tech. It’ll happen.

More at Greenjava.

Solar, Wind, And EV Incentives

Right now, if you get an plug-in vehicle, you essentially forgo the need to burn petroleum in exchange for power generated by the local power plants or whoever your city mandates you buy your electricity from. So we're pretty much making someone else increase the load of chemicals that affect the environment, and ultimately, the planet.

What if the government offers additional incentives for consumers who purchase renewable energy solutions in addition to the EV? Or what if the power companies also provide incentives for consumers with EV to drive even less?

More at GreenJava.

Can Green Tech Be The Salvation For Third-World Nations?

The Sahara Desert, from what little I gathered from Wikipedia, is a diverse and large desert, about the size of the United States and all of Europe. What we see is large sand dunes that stretch as far as the eye can see.

Given the tremendous amount of heat, sun, and wind with a sparse population, it would appear to be an opportunity for renewable energy investments. It would benefit a whole region as well as drastically reduce reliance on petroleum.

I know there are a lot of politics and conflicts that are regional as well as international in scope. However, there is a saying that goes along the line of if something isn't hard, it's not worth doing. Or something close to it.

A multibillion dollar effort can go a long way in help energy starved nations while also benefitting the local populations. Of course, we should not make the same mistakes that many companies and conquering armies from first world nations often do.

This an endeavor should be one undertaken with the ultimate goal of helping all of humanity.

Aerogenerator: MegaWind Turbine Capable of 10MW & Counting

Apparently, there is a great competition among various groups vying for the title of the biggest, most efficient, and powerful wind turbines and a new design from a British team based on a spinning leaf can be a challenger to the Americans and other EU teams. More importantly, it will be operational in 2014 (according to The Guardian).

Green: Contacted Solar City For Lease And Consultation

I read an article with Money from CNN about Solar City. I'm sure I've also read other posts about them in the past but I finally decided to do something about it.

I went to their website and requested a free consultation for solar leasing. I suppose the way it works is that I would get power from the solar panels installed by Solar City guys.

I'll have more to say about it after the consultation whenever it is and I'm very excited about it. I'm not a green nut but like everyone else, we have our ideals about conservation and waste. And this is more than just feeling good about ourselves. We have a responsibility to the future generation and legacy of what our generations gave to the world.

How does a solar lease from Solar City work? From my understanding, I think it's a balancing act between actual power use and the lease. I'm going to explore the site for more information and come back when I found out more. But I encourage you to take a look at it.

Here's a video from CNN about Solar City and concept of solar leasing.



More at Solar City and Money.

Solar Charging For Mobile Devices

A while ago, I bought a solar charger with an USB port, hoping that I would be able use to power my iPods and G1.  Well, it was an idea but it didn't work out quite as I hope.

The problem I experienced was the time it takes to charge the battery and how underpowered it was.  Heck, I even bought some solar lights for my yard and talk about underpowered.  I've decided that the issue is the solar panels and the terrible efficiency.

So, when do we expect things to be better?  To be able to charge our mobile devices in the same amount of time it goes for us to charge our mobile devices solarly as it takes to have them plugged into the wall.

But I was hoping for the day when we don't need an external charger and the devices will come with its own solar panels.

According to CNet, the folks to spoke to believes that isn't going to happen any time soon.  The solar chargers they are talking about are like backpacks, cases, or external batteries.  In the near term, devices that come with solar panels are only good to help extend battery life rather than completely replace the need for plugs.

Right now, it takes a full day of charging for devices like Samsung's Crest Solar.  Trust me on this.  A full day is better than anything I've experienced.  The Crest is a standard phone.  Nothing like the G1, Blackberry, or the iPhone, all of which requires more power.

I don't know when mobile devices will be self-sufficient to the point when solar charging will take only mere hours instead of a full day.  The problem is the sun isn't up 24 hours a day.

Source:  CNet

Hybrids - Mobile Users Should Consider It

With the oil crisis in 2008 and the resulting sky-rocketing gas prices looming in the background of the global economic recession, I'm glad progress is still being made on the green front.  Specifically, Toyota is still trying to take the Prius to the next level.

On top of that, in the world's first ever ship of its kind, The Auriga Leader will be carrying over the US those awesome Priuses.  What makes it so unique is the vessel will generate 40kW of power with its 328 solar panels for ship uses, thus, reducing load on the engines.  The effort is a $1.68 million solar system Toyota contracted for it's own use.

To top it off, these hybrid cars are made in a plant that has its own array of solar panels capable of supplying half of the plant's power needs.

Going for the triple play, the new Priuses will also have the option for solar roofs to help the car's cooling systems.

I like to think that Onxo readers are generally pretty green and thought you might appreciate knowing this.  I think in an indirect manner, hybrids with solar panels is another push towards better and newer technologies that has the potential to help even mobile tech.

I like to be able to see those solar panels on hybrids also serve owners on other ways.  Charging stations for mobile gears.  Perhaps even allow for mobile wireless stations to allow Wi-Fi access at some point in the future.  And with incremental advancements in battery technology and greater solar efficiency, it's possible for these hybrids to provide power to the engine since most of the time, the cars are sitting in parking lots or driveways.

Source:  Guardian

Biking For Mobile

I'm gonna be heading out for a long bike ride around town. Maybe even hop on the train and head out further. But as always, my main concern will be battery life for my G1.

I'm requesting help from anyone who might know of anyway to turn pedal-power to electricity for a small mobile device like a smartphone or mp3 player.

I came across this site, Convergence Tech, that offers similar to something what I'm looking at but in a smaller package if possible. Hopefully, it'll offer a USB or cigarette lighter input.

There are tons of information on the Internet for stationary bike generators. Some come prebuilt while there are DIY options.

For now, I think the easiest option is for me to carry around an external battery with a solar charger.

Note: I know its possible for bikes to generate power for a headlight. I suppose it's possible for that energy to be converted and stored in a portable battery unit.

Mobile Power

I get by with about 4-5 hours of sleep a day.  I wish I can sleep longer but I won't allow myself to do that.

I spend about half an hour a day walk to and back from work.  Then I spend an average of another 30-40 minutes running or workout.  I work in an office environment but whenever I get the chance to get away from my desk to walk to the coffeemaker, pick up faxes, or for any other reasons, I do it.

So, I spend a lot of my day moving around.  What if there is a way to translate those movements into energy for mobile uses?  And on weekends, I ride my bike quite a bit to go to the market or gym.  That's a lot of energy expended that I am sure can power my iPod or G1 to provide a few extra hours of battery life.

I'm swinging my arms when I move.  I'm not just talking about having something in the shoes that can translate the kinetic energy into stored electric power.  Though that would be cool wouldn't it?  We're a t the point where nanotechnology can be used to create clothes that can potentially allow movements and the energy created to be stored in some manner.

Here is a device similar to what I'm talking about.  The Dyson Energy Bracelet that takes into account the temperature differentials to produce electricity.  If just a few degrees in temperature can produce electricity, imagine what a day's collective movements of 4-5 hours can produce.

As you probably know, there are jackets with flexible solar panels on same for years now.  I can say from the looks, wearing a solar panel on your back will get you attention but not the type one would hope if you know what I mean.  But if a jacket, pants, or shirt can be lined to translate the kinetic movements of your body and heat into electricity, it can be quite a useful tool.

For a mobile warrior like myself who works in an office.  Law enforcement.  The Fedex and UPS drivers. There are dozens of professions where constant movements is a part of the job.  I imagine there could be a few of these folks who probably would like the extra power their muscles can provide their mobile devices.

If you know of such devices or research, please let us know and we can keep an eye its developments. Increasingly, more and more tasks will depend on mobile Internet.  And since longer battery life for smartphones and mobile devices comes not from advancements in battery technologies but rely on more and more efficient electronics, "kinetic wears" such as the ones I'm talking about here can provide the wearer greater efficiency, or at the very least, not having to worry about their devices running out of battery.

The Dyson device (to be available in 2012) makers state a few hours of wearing it will change a mobile device and provide a few extra minutes of talk time for a cell phone that can be charged through a micro-USB.  Suppose if they made it so that it can attach to the wearer's belt and be powered through his or her body, perhaps more power can be created than through temperature differences.

More on Dyson Bracelet.