Washington State University in Pullman Washington has been developing what they are calling a ‘Super or Ultra Battery’.

“The researchers created the material on the Pullman campus in a diamond anvil cell, a small, two-inch by three-inch-diameter device capable of producing extremely high pressures in a small space. The cell contained xenon difluoride (XeF2), a white crystal used to etch silicon conductors, squeezed between two small diamond anvils.”

Link to WSU

I was recently reading ‘This Old House’ for their usual helpful winter heat saving tips when I discovered something I’ve never heard of before.

Many of us know how much heat we lose up the chimney, even if you have dampers and glass doors. I have glass doors, but I do not have a damper- it probably came out when someone put in an insert many years ago. Dampers can also become warped with age and heat, and not create a decent draft block.

I noticed an item called a Chimney Balloon™ and they come in many sizes to fit the myriad of chimney openings. They are made of PVC and are inflatable making them easy to install and remove when you want to have a nice fire.

I read somewhere that you can order one from Ace Hardware and avoid paying the shipping costs. You need to do a little research about how to best measure the opening. There may be some applications where they may not work- chimneys and dampers vary tremendously. You can do a Google search for Chimney Balloons™ and you will find there are different manufacturers that make these.

According to the Department of Energy, a lit fireplace sucks about 24,000 cubic feet of furnace-heated air up your chimney each hour.

‘Battic Door’ also makes many devices to help save energy in the home.

I have an interesting guest posting from Jane Mcguire today:

Are you aware that a North Carolina State University team has demonstrated that water gel-based solar devices (known as: “artificial leaves”) can work like solar cells to create electricity?

The analysis has been published on-line in the Journal of Materials Chemistry by Doctor Orlin Velev, an Invista Professor of Chemical and Bio-molecular Engineering.

The studies prove the concept for making solar cells that more closely simulate nature. They also have the potential to be cheaper and more eco-friendly than the present standard silicon based solar cells.

The bendable devices are composed of water-based gel infused together with light-sensitive molecules (like plant chlorophyll) coupled with electrodes coated by carbon elements, such as carbon nanotubes or graphite.

Graphene is the simple structural element of some carbon allotropes including graphite, carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. Graphene is a 1-atom thick planar sheet of carbon atoms that are largely packed in a honeycomb crystal lattice. The title comes from graphite ene; graphite itself consists of numerous graphene sheets stacked together.

The light-sensitive molecules get “excited” by the sun’s rays to create electricity, similar to plant molecules that get excited to synthesize sugars in order to grow.

Dr. Velev states that the research team hopes to be able to “learn how to mimic the materials through which nature harnesses solar energy.” Although man made light-sensitive molecules can be used, Velev says naturally derived products, like chlorophyll, are also effortlessly integrated in these units because of their particular water-gel matrix.

Velev even imagines a future in which roofs could be covered with soft sheets of similar electrical power-generating man-made-leaf solar cells. The concept of biochemically inspired ’soft’ devices for generating electricity may in the future offer an alternative for the present-day solid-state technologies.

About the Author: Colleen Jane Mcguire is currently writing for the http://www.solarwaterfountains.org blog, her personal hobby web log is focused on guidelines to help homeowners spend a smaller amount of energy with solar energy.

Reference: Aqueous soft matter based photovoltaic or pv devices. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2011; DOI: http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2011/JM/c0jm01820a

Porsche unveiled the new 918 hybrid spyder earlier this year. It boasts 0-62 mph in 3.2 seconds with its mid engine 500 horsepower V8 (with 2 electric motors) and claims 78 mpg.

Top speed is suggested to be 198 mph, although I’ve also read that it will do over 200 mph.

As far as anyone knows, the specs are from Porsche and there is no indication of independent testing yet. Based on the Porsche RS Spyder, the estimated cost to own one of these will exceed $600,000 USD, and production could begin in about 2 years.

Richmond California has recently opened a community swimming pool that may be one of the most energy efficient in the country. They call it “The Plunge”. It is heated by solar collectors, it’s totally chlorine free and the building is heated by solar panels on the roof. The Plunge is an historic pool- it was first opened in 1926. Now after 10 years of renovations it has recently re opened August 14, 2010.

It’s a huge pool holding 324,000 gallons of water, and measures 60’ x 160’. The water is heated by circulating through eighty Heliodyne Gobi solar collectors on the roof.

Since the pool contains no chlorine, they use instead a saline solution combined with an ultraviolet disinfectant system. The use of natural ventilation and the reduction of chloramines in the water will make swimming in the Plunge a healthy experience.

The pool also has an array of solar electric panels that produce approximately 30 kilowatts for the building.

Heliodyne Gobi solar collectors

Richmond Plunge link

Kinfolk (frame design) and Coat (paint job), with a bag by Nivaldo de Lima, have come up with a bike that breaks down to fit inside a custom bag that can be simply carried or put on a plane as luggage. The leather saddles are made by Brooks. There are 2 models- one has 54 cm wheels, the other has 58cm wheels.

The prices appear to range from $1579 to $1973 USD plus shipping.

See Wallpaper* Magazine for more information

This solar powered boat operates in Sydney Australia as a passenger ferry. Pollution free boats- WOW!

Boats are among the biggest fuel guzzlers of all time… right up there with  Hummers and Tanks.

This is a passenger boat that is powered by wind and solar energy. It has movable wing- like solar panels that act as sails.

Since it is Hybrid, it can run on wind, sun, battery, diesel or any combination of these.

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This is The Solar Shuttle, designed by SolarLab founder Christoph Behling. It is the UK’s largest and most advanced solar boat. It carries 42 passengers in all daylight conditions, has reserve power for night-time running and even generates surplus energy that can be fed back into the national grid.

It operates on the ecologically-fragile Serpentine Lake in one of the oldest parks in the world, London’s Hyde Park.

This international trade show features building improvements, materials, green construction and innovative products and services related to commercial buildings. Energy Film will be featuring its performance and privacy window films.

Our performance film uses Nanoparticle technology to reduce solar heat gain in summer, retain warmth in winter, reduce harmful UV rays and balance interior room temperatures. It is easily applied and removed without damaging windows.

Privacy films are an elegant solution to giving windows a colorless etched or textured glass look at a fraction of the cost. They apply without adhesives and can be quickly removed and replaced with alternative designs. The films can be trimmed to create any design your imagination can come up with.

We would love to have you stop by and say “Hi”! We will be in booth # 856 in the Green Pavillion- June 28th~ 29th, 2010.

Hope to see you there!

Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center

300 East Ocean Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90802-4825
(562) 436-3636

MAP HERE

Cornell University has installed a very innovative, yet very basic concept for cooling Ithaca High School and Cornell University. It is a closed loop system that exchanges the cool water from the depths of nearby Cayuga Lake, and expels the warm water into the shallow waters of the same lake. The water is drawn through an intake that comes from water about 2 miles out in water that is 250 feet deep, and the intake sits about 10 feet from the bottom of the lake where the temperature is about 39ºF year round.

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If I rent a Hybrid car for one roadtrip, I will save enough energy to surf the web for 585 hours. If 1,000 people joined me we could, for a year, take 24 cars off the road!