Efficient things
Efficient things
A solar shower is a fun and highly efficient device for summer. It operates by attaching a standard garden hose to the shower — water is heated inside an integrated solar-thermal tank. After 1-2 hours the water will be hot enough for a shower. Solar heated shower are also handy for camping — you can […]
Efficient: Solar Showers Read More »
See our updated report on Electric Cars In 2011. At MetaEfficient, I am a strong advocate of car-free living (see my review of the books How To Live Well Without Owning A Car and Car-Free Cities). However, clean, electric vehicles can be useful in some situations. If you recharge them using a renewable energy source
A Round-Up Of 100% Electric Cars Read More »
Ken-ichi Horie, a 69 year old Japanese sailor, is planning a solo 4,350 mile trip from Hawaii to Japan using an innovative wave powered boat. If successful, the trip would earn him a Guinness record while simultaneously proving the viability of wave powered propulsion.
World’s First Wave Powered Boat Read More »
Ener1, an alternative energy company, has become the first to successfully integrate a lithium-ion battery into an operating hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), an important milestone for the electric vehicle industry. The company’s battery division, EnerDel, will exhibit its lithium-ion battery pack in an operating HEV at the EVS-23 show in Anaheim, California Dec. 2-4.
First Hybrid Car To Use Lithium-Ion Battery Read More »
The Gisborne family has completed a 12-day trip on their solar-powered electric boat, the Loon. The Gisbornes travelled the Erie and Oswego canals for 12 days before reaching Albany, New York. Monte Gisborne, the captain, said this will mark the first time anyone has traveled an American canal system using solar electric energy as the
Solar Boat Sets Sail Again Read More »
Science Daily reports that British scientists have developed a “biofuel cell” that generates electricity from air spike with small amounts of hydrogen. These cells are an inexpensive, renewable alternative to “fuel cells” that have been closely associated with the “hydrogen economy”. At a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society, Fraser Armstrong, described how his
New Biofuel Cells: Electricity From Hydrogen and Thin Air Read More »
The New York Times just published a report on home that uses a unique system to generate hydrogen using solar power. The system was built by Mike Strizki, the 50-year-old director of Advanced Solar Products, a solar installation company, designed a backyard power plant that provides all the house’s energy, using a combination of solar
Zero-Energy House: It Uses Solar Power and Hydrogen Read More »
A Canadian company, Pulsar Advanced Technologies, claims to have produced a water heater that uses microwave technology to heat water instantaneously. The company says: “The Vulcanus MK4 can heat water from 35 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit in seconds and can source multiple applications at once: showers, dishwasher, sink usages and more. The Vulcanus
Tankless Water Heater Uses Microwaves: Vulcanus Mark 4 Read More »
Composting toilets can be a practical solution even for large businesses. We recently visited the Philip Merrill Environment Center, which is the headquarters for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. It has a Platinum rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the U.S. Green Building Council. After taking a tour of their offices (about
Composting Toilets: Large Scale Systems Read More »