Tesla S Gets Highest Ever Safety Rating

Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors is justifiably proud of their Model S sedan which has scored the highest ever rating. Although the official scoring does not go past 5-star, the Model S turned in an effective rating of 5.4 stars.

Much of the credit for these high ratings goes to the fact that an electric motor is much smaller than an internal combustion engine. Because there is less space taken up by an engine, there is more body space that can help absorb energy in a collision. And, there is also less concern about keeping an internal combustion engine from being forced into the passenger compartment.

On the rollover test, "the Model S refused to turn over via the normal methods and special means were needed to induce the car to roll." This was because of its low center-of-gravity which comes from the location of the battery pack, which is largely under the floor.

Synergistic benefits such as this will help further ensure that electric vehicles don't become relegated to a single-issue curiosity, but that they represent real improvements in transportation.

via: Tesla Press Release

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Solar Drone Aircraft Work As Atmospheric Satellites

Part of the resurgence of airships in recent years has been due to research carried out with an eye toward long-duration purposes such as surveillance, imaging, and even serving as regional wireless antennas. But developments in unmanned aerial vehicles and military drones, as well as improvements in solar powered aircraft are being combined into smaller, unmanned, conventional aircraft. The advantage of high-altitude and long-term persistence that was once the sole province of satellites is now becoming more readily available as winged drones seem poised to leap past airships.

One example is the Titan Aerospace Solara 50, which has the potential to carry up to 70 pounds (31.75 kilograms) of payload and stay aloft at an altitude of 60,000 to 70,000 feet (18.3 to 21.3 kilometers) and remain there for years. Of course, in the current security-focused environment, the initial targets for these drones will most likely be military and policing applications with their enormous budgets. But, as the technology is developed and becomes available, scientific and civilian commercial uses for these drones will come into play.

"The Solara 50 has a 50 m (164 feet) wingspan. The upper surfaces of its wings and tail are packed with over 3,000 photovoltaic cells capable of generating up to 7 kilowatts." Titan is also developing a larger model, the Solara 60, which will be able to carry a larger payload of up to 250 pounds (113.4 kilograms). Furthermore, the Solara 60 could also provide 100 watts to the payload, enabling quite a range of equipment to be powered on board the craft.

via: ArsTechnica

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Are Cities More Sustainable Than Suburbia?

Is living in the city inherently greener than living in the suburbs? Researchers like Edward Glaeser have argued a resounding yes: “In almost every metropolitan area, carbon emissions are significantly lower for people who live in central cities than for people who live in suburbs.” This conclusion has common sense on its side. Despite the literal greenness of many suburbs, high density living would seem to reduce energy use by default: less car and fossil fuel dependency, more infrastructure efficiency, with the largest cities generating the biggest energy-saving boost.

But new research from Canada’s Dalhousie University contests the claim that cities are immensely greener than their suburbs and adds additional information to consider when comparing population density and emissions. Researcher Jeffrey Wilson and his team looked at greenhouse gas emissions around Halifax, Nova Scotia, and found a negligible difference between suburban and city pollution: only a 0.3kgCO2e/person/day difference. While suburbanites did drive more, those in the city produced more home-energy emissions per household member than their suburban counterparts, bringing their total emissions closer to each other. Exurbs dwellers, however, needing to travel the furthest, polluted the most. Those in the exurbs produced 11 percent more emissions than those living in the inner city.

This research does broaden the conversation, illustrating that not all cities necessarily have a significant environmental edge over their suburbs. As Eric Jaffe at The Atlantic Cities points out, however, the study has a few problems: it doesn’t account for income level (the wealthier exurb dwellers may emit more greenhouse gases in part because they have more disposable income), and doesn’t compare the data by season--only across a year. Additionally, while Halifax Regional Municipality’s suburbanites and urbanites might be similar in greenhouse gas emissions, its hard to know how much this can speak to other regions’ internal relationships when other studies have looked at more metropolitan areas.

via: The Atlantic Cities

image CC BY-SA 2.0 by Roger Wollstadt

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Tesla S Gets Highest Ever Safety Rating

Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors is justifiably proud of their Model S sedan which has scored the highest ever rating. Although the official scoring does not go past 5-star, the Model S turned in an effective rating of 5.4 stars.

Much of the credit for these high ratings goes to the fact that an electric motor is much smaller than an internal combustion engine. Because there is less space taken up by an engine, there is more body space that can help absorb energy in a collision. And, there is also less concern about keeping an internal combustion engine from being forced into the passenger compartment.

On the rollover test, "the Model S refused to turn over via the normal methods and special means were needed to induce the car to roll." This was because of its low center-of-gravity which comes from the location of the battery pack, which is largely under the floor.

Synergistic benefits such as this will help further ensure that electric vehicles don't become relegated to a single-issue curiosity, but that they represent real improvements in transportation.

via: Tesla Press Release

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Solar Drone Aircraft Work As Atmospheric Satellites

Part of the resurgence of airships in recent years has been due to research carried out with an eye toward long-duration purposes such as surveillance, imaging, and even serving as regional wireless antennas. But developments in unmanned aerial vehicles and military drones, as well as improvements in solar powered aircraft are being combined into smaller, unmanned, conventional aircraft. The advantage of high-altitude and long-term persistence that was once the sole province of satellites is now becoming more readily available as winged drones seem poised to leap past airships.

One example is the Titan Aerospace Solara 50, which has the potential to carry up to 70 pounds (31.75 kilograms) of payload and stay aloft at an altitude of 60,000 to 70,000 feet (18.3 to 21.3 kilometers) and remain there for years. Of course, in the current security-focused environment, the initial targets for these drones will most likely be military and policing applications with their enormous budgets. But, as the technology is developed and becomes available, scientific and civilian commercial uses for these drones will come into play.

"The Solara 50 has a 50 m (164 feet) wingspan. The upper surfaces of its wings and tail are packed with over 3,000 photovoltaic cells capable of generating up to 7 kilowatts." Titan is also developing a larger model, the Solara 60, which will be able to carry a larger payload of up to 250 pounds (113.4 kilograms). Furthermore, the Solara 60 could also provide 100 watts to the payload, enabling quite a range of equipment to be powered on board the craft.

via: ArsTechnica

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​White House Gets Solar Panels (Again)

The White House is being outfitted with photovoltaic (PV) solar panels this week to once again make the residence of the President of the United States capable of producing some of the energy it consumes.

The White House has had solar panels before. The first solar panels on the White House were solar hot water panels that were installed in 1979, during Jimmy Carter's presidency. Those panels were subsequently ordered removed by Ronald Reagan. Some solar panels, both PV and water heating, were again installed on the grounds of the White House during the George W Bush administration, providing electricity for the entire White House complex, as well as water heating for the White House pool.

The new panels being installed this week are, once more, directly on the White House itself. The manufacturer and exact number of the panels has not been identified, although they are reported to be from an American company. The White House PV panels are expected to generate 19,700 kWh annually.

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Fukushima Site Leaking Radioactive Wastewater

Radioactive water has been found leaking from storage tanks at the site of the Fukushima reactors which melted down in the wake of the 2011 tsunami. Three of the eight reactors at the site melted down after cooling systems failed due to damage caused by the tsunami.

Storage tanks have been built near the crippled reactors to store the great quantities of water being used to cool off the damaged reactor cores. The melted reactors will need to be cooled off for years before further decontamination work can take place.

The leak has been classified as a low-level (Level 1) incident, but still, the radioactivity of the leak has been characterized as "equivalent to the limit for accumulated exposure over five years for nuclear workers."

image: CC Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported by KEI at ja.wikipedia

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In India, Cost of Wind Power Competes with New Coal

According to a recent report by HSBC Global Research, wind power has become cost competitive with new coal capacity in India. Solar is not far behind; the report also claims it is likely to become cost competitive between 2016 and 2018.

While policies like the reinstatement of the Generation Based Incentive for wind power projects have made them more financially viable, as HSBC reports, this specific change in the relationship between wind power and coal-based power can be partially attributed to water shortages. In India, thermal power plants account for almost 90 percent of industrial water demand. Coal-fired power plants use significantly more water than renewables like wind and solar, and water shortages have been affecting coal-based power production in India during the past three years, causing some power plants to close partially during the pre-monsoon season.

India already ranked number five for global wind power capacity as of 2011. While improvements to the power grid infrastructure would be necessary to get new wind power generation sources linked to businesses and homes, this change in relative cost likely coincides with, and perhaps will directly cause, an increase of wind power projects in India. As the HSBC report states, “India currently has 1.2GW of installed solar capacity and over 4GW of capacity is at various stages of tariff bidding. We expect commissioning of selected projects within two years.”

via: IEEE Spectrum

image CC BY 2.0 by brownknows

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Rubbee TurnsRegular Bicycles into Electric Vehicles

Joining other developments in electric bike technology, a compact electric drive called Rubbee electrifies most regular bicycles in less than a minute. Cyclists looking for the occasional extra boost on the road can clamp the electric drive just below the seat (fitting tubes ranging from 22-35 mm), where its polyurethane cast friction wheel meets the bike’s back tire. A throttle, installed on the handlebars, stays on the bike with or without the drive. Pedaling is optional once Rubbee is switched on; its wheel turns the back tire, allowing the cyclist to travel for 15 miles and reach a top speed of 15 miles per hour without needing to pedal.

Its integrated battery pack ensures easy travel on level terrain or at an incline, and can be charged every day for 5 years without loosing range. Its integrated suppression system, enabled by a removable fixation pin, keeps a constant force on the tire. Rubbee can stay on the bike without touching the back tire with the pin put in place, useful for when Rubbee’s out of juice or when a cyclist would rather travel by pedal power alone.

The London-based company, currently seeking funds via Kickstarter, states that Rubbee gets its name for the way the friction wheel rubs the bicycle tire without significant wear. It weighs 14 lbs, which could take some getting used to for those keeping Rubbee installed while it's turned off, but only takes 2 hours to fully recharge, and includes an LED tail light for more visible travel at night. While it costs £699 (roughly $1073), for those who can afford it, a drive like this would give cyclists some help up those hills.

via: EarthTechling

image via Rubbee Ltd

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Considering the Environmental Impact of 3D Printing

Manufacturing with 3D printing is now a fast-growing field, with the technology becoming more accessible and affordable. Some think that it will revolutionize all kinds of manufacturing. But, while it offers some advantages, the process can be energy intensive and wasteful of material. A recent study has a comparison of some 3D printing and conventional milling methods.

There are many different kinds of 3D printing, and this study is only an early examination of a few methods. The environmental impacts between different printers (different printing methods) were not as great as the those between occasionally operated printers and ones in more consistent production (which is more efficient). "In cases like this, job shops legitimately can argue that they provide both economic and environmental advantage to their customers."

Equally importantly, the kind of object being produced can make a huge difference in the amount material used. An object with a great deal of hollow space will be easier to produce by 3D printing rather than milling. In some instances, "an inkjet 3D printer (which lays down polymeric ink and UV-cures it layer by layer) wastes 40 to 45 percent of its ink, not even counting support material, and it can't be recycled."

Regardless of method, 3D printing is not going to replace other methods of mass production, any more than laser printing replaced all conventional printing. "3D printing is not going to replace injection-molding for mass-manufactured products (plastic parts made in the millions). It is replacing machining for smaller runs (1 unit, 10 units, maybe 1,000 units)." Each has its advantages, for its appropriate application.

link; Is 3D printing an environmental win?

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New Seawater Desalinating Process in Development

In general, removing salts from water is an expensive, energy intensive process. But a team of chemists at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Marburg in Germany are developing a new method to produce freshwater from briny that doesn’t involve reverse osmosis or thermal desalination. A small electrical field does the trick.

As UT Austin states, researchers apply 3.0 volts to a plastic chip filled with seawater. The chip has a microchannel with two branches, and an electrode placed at the fork. The electrode neutralizes some of the chloride ions in the water, changing the electric field nearby by creating an “ion depletion zone.” This funnels the salts into one branch, leaving the desalinated water to flow into the other.

Electrochemically mediated seawater desalination, as it’s called, is in the early stages of development. The prototype chip only removes about 25 percent of salts from water in testing and only produces about 40 nanoliters of desalinated water per minute. The chemists developing this technology say that with further research this can be scaled up from its current nanoscale size and 99 percent desalination--the amount necessary to produce drinking water--may be achieved.

via: TreeHugger

image via University of Texas at Austin

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Microbes Thriving on Plastic Ocean Pollution

From the Great Pacific garbage patch to more disperse bits of trash, immense amounts of plastic and other garbage continue to amass in the ocean. However, some of that plastic pollution is harboring life. Scientists have discovered colonies of microbes thriving on tiny fragments of plastic floating in the open ocean. The team of scientists studying these new ocean habitats--called the "plastisphere"--collected marine plastic debris using fine-scale nets at locations in the North Atlantic Ocean. They discovered at least 1000 kinds of bacterial cells, forming a variety of complex microscopic communities.

Many microbial species on the debris samples remain unidentified, and identifying the microbes present isn't the only task at hand. As Science Daily reports, scientist Linda Amaral-Zettler says, "We're not just interested in who's there. We're interested in their function, how they're functioning in this ecosystem, how they're altering this ecosystem, and what's the ultimate fate of these particles in the ocean ... Are they sinking to the bottom of the ocean? Are they being ingested? If they're being ingested, what impact does that have?"

One debris sample studied mostly contained certain strains of Vibrio bacteria that cause cholera; disease-causing bacteria thriving on plastic instead of something less durable like driftwood may have a better chance of spreading disease across the ocean. However, some of the microbes found on the plastic debris may be capable of degrading hydrocarbons. The team found microscopic pits in the plastic surfaces on samples made of different kinds of resins. Genetic sequencing will identify these microbes, and further research will explore whether some of these microbes can actually digest the plastic garbage they find so appealing.

The plastisphere study was published online in Environmental Science & Technology.

via: Science Daily

image credit: Erik Zettler, Sea Education Association

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Solar Impulse Plane Completes Across America Mission

While a flyby of the Statue of Liberty had to be canceled due to a rip in the left wing, the solar-powered Solar Impulse plane has successfully finished its journey across the United States, landing at JFK International Airport in New York City on July 6.

The coast to coast series of flights kicked off in San Francisco in May, with stopovers in Phoenix, Arizona; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; and Washington, DC. During the transcontinental mission, the single-seat HB-SIA prototype plane was piloted by CEO and co-founder of Solar Impulse, André Borschberg, and at other times by Bertrand Piccard, the company's president and initiator.

The 11,628 solar cells that cover HB-SIA charge its 900 lb (400 kg) of lithium-ion batteries, which allow the plane to fly night. During the Phoenix to Dallas leg of the mission, the plane set a new world record for absolute distance traveled during a solar-powered flight--958 miles (1,541km).

Across America marks the last mission for the HB-SIA craft. This particular prototype has made great strides over the past few years, from a 24-hour flight in 2010 to an intercontinental journey in 2012. Solar Impulse's future plans involve finishing a larger, two-seat prototype to complete a flight around the world, currently scheduled between April and July 2015.

via: BBC News

image CC BY 2.0 by Charles Barilleaux

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Blu Homes Completes a Chalet in Colorado

One of our favorite prefab home designers, Blu Homes, just completed a home in Colorado at the beginning of the October. The Fischer Chalet, a modern green prefab home in Breckenridge, Colorado, is a perfect example of what Blu Homes is capable of. While designed as a custom home built with the Colorado climate in [...]

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Winning Homes of the 2009 Solar Decathlon

We’ve been watching in eager anticipation to find out which amazing solar powered green home would win this year’s Solar Decathlon. This year marks the fourth competition, with teams from around the world journeying to Washington DC to showcase their most technically advanced and energy efficient prefabricated homes. The best and brightest turned out this [...]

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Blu Homes Acquires Green Prefab Pioneer mkDesigns

Blu Homes, a LIL favorite in the green prefab sector, announced today that they have purchased the assets of mkDesigns, the pioneering prefab company founded by architect Michelle Kaufmann that has been one of the most visible leaders in modular sustainable design. The plan is to bring some of mkDesigns' leading models (Glidehouse TM, mkLotus TM, Sunset Breezehouse) to customers around the country via Blu's proprietary manufacturing and building system innovations. This could be an intriguing combination, for mkDesigns and Blu were targeting different segments of the market and didn't overlap much.

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Straw Bale Home in Sonoma County

Passive solar design is the most economical way to provide heat for a home and also reduce cooling loads. But what do you do when passive solar design is impractical because your lot or the surrounding terrain makes it challenging or impossible? You make sure the home is very well insulated and install a very [...]

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