Solar-Powered Homes Solar Energy No Comments » If you’re new here, you might want to subscribe to subscribe to email updates or subscribe to this blog in a reader. Thanks for visiting! There are many ways of benefiting from nature’s resources and from clean energy as a home owner. In fact, proper design of a home needs to take many factors into account if one is to create energy-efficient living quarters. Home owner who wish to be energy-efficient need to consider using passive solar heatin

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I hope you had a great holiday. I have already experienced how much fun it is to drive BMW’s MINI Cooper and soon I could be driving one of the most environmentally friendly efficient cars at the same time. I had read the news that BMW was soon to introduce an all-electric version of the MINI but I wasn’t going to get my hopes up.  The new electric-powered MINI E, however, as displayed at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, just blew me away.  If they can keep the

via Guardian UK The beating of a patient’s heart, the shudder of a tube train and the pounding of thousands of commuters’ feet on crowded platforms are being exploited as new sources of power. Engineers and scientists are developing tiny generators that turn the kinetic energy of everyday movements into electricity which can then power sensors or provide electricity for remote installations. The technology, known as power harvesting, is already being tested in helicopter frames, the floors of di

A Little Green Math Challenge For You–(because my calculator watch just broke) OK–as a new signer upper for Ameren’s Pure Power Plan I am curious about 1 thing: How can I present this to my wife as an economical decision? Two things are apparent from that question: 1. I signed up without telling my wife–not usually my style, I guess I was just hoping she wouldn’t notice. 2. She won’t be down with supporting modern energy. Not true–she’s down. It’s just that she is more fiscally conservative th

Phys.org reports on IBM’s predictions for near-future tech that will transform your life five years from now.  I don’t think the five-year time scale is right for most of these — it’ll take a little longer — but I do think that they’re reasonable things to see in the near-future and definitely in near-future science fiction. Here they are: — Energy saving solar technology will be built into asphalt, paint and windows – You will have a crystal ball for your health – You will talk to the Web

Over the past few weeks, Israel’s ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip has intensified.  Commercial crossings are now closed, preventing the transfer of natural gas and other essential resources for Gaza’s 1.5 million residents. We saw earlier this year, when inventors Waseem Khazendar… …to keep reading, visit Green Prophet…

I was wondering how solar powered houses store energy when the sun is not out? What is the device called that actually stores the energy? That all depends on how you are collecting solar energy. If you are using solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity, then the energy is stored in what are called deep cycle batteries. It takes a few of these batteries wired together. All the batteries you have wired together that store electricity are called a battery bank. Your battery bank wil

A few reports with some OR & Sustainability content were issued recently. Applied Mathematics at the US Department of Energy: Past, Present and a View to the Future was written by “an Independent Panel from the Applied Mathematics Research Community” chaired by David L. Brown of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Complex Systems emerge as a major theme in the report, as the title of Chapter 2 (of 3) suggests: Advancing Mathematics for Modeling, Simulation, Analysis and Understanding o

Late on Friday afternoon, our Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong, put out a media release stating that Australia would not be announcing it’s greenhouse reduction targets before the international meeting in Poznan. It seems that Cabinet are split on what the target should be. A decision still hasn’t been made but it will be any day now. If you were ever thinking of calling Mr Rudd or Penny Wong to demand at least 40% cuts in emissions by 2020, now would be a good time. You can reach Kevin

Harvard graduate students have new housing that has green features inside. With building systems, the design team focused on energy efficiency. Green features include siding with recycled content, renewable bamboo flooring and wall paneling, and low-VOC finishes. Located on the scenic Charles River, the complex boasts 215 beds, over 30 different suites, a faculty director’s suite, a fitness room, study lounge spaces, a multipurpose room, new public space, and a garage tucked away under the fac