China has come up with an innovative way to reduce carbon emissions and relieve congested metropolitan areas. They have developed what is being called a “straddling bus” that allows vehicles less than 2 meters tall to pass under the busses. This was first exhibited at the 13^th Beijing International High-Tech Expo in May of this year, with hopes of putting a model into pilot use in Beijing’s Mentougou district in the near future.

These large sized busses have a ground clearance of 4 to 4.5 meters and 6 meters wide, and are comprised of two levels- the upper levels will be designated as passenger space, and the lower level will be for the passage of normal sized vehicles.

The “straddling Bus” will be powered by solar energy and electricity with a top speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) carrying a maximum passenger load of 1200 to 1400 in one trip (about 300 per cart). It also has an emergency exit ladder built in, in case evacuation is necessary. It is also estimated that this bus will save approximately 860 tons of fuel each year.

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.

__________________________________________________________________

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.

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.

(more…)

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!

If I take public transportation to work 1 time this week, I will save enough energy to surf the web for 50 hours. If 1,000 people joined me we could, for a year, take 2 cars off the road!

Compact fluorescents (CFL’s) are supposed to save a lot of energy and last longer. They do cost more than incandescent bulbs, so they should last longer. Personally I don’t find they last as long as regular bulbs in many cases. I recently read an article that suggested they last longer if you wait 15 minutes before turning them back on again. That doesn’t work so well in a bathroom or any room that gets used frequently. I often forget something and go right back and turn the light on again. I try really hard to turn off lights when I leave a room, and maybe mine aren’t lasting so long because I’m constantly turning them off and on! Some brands are slow to brighten up enough to see. Sometimes when I’m looking for something, I might be better off using a flashlight because of the time it takes to be bright enough to see. I could also be getting brands that aren’t as reliable, or simply a bad batch. I have some that last and last, and others that fail too soon.

(more…)

Construction for Hoover Dam started in 1931 (some sources say it began in 1930), and was completed in less than 5 years- 2 years ahead of schedule, and well under budget. It is listed as one of the top 10 construction achievements in the 20^th century. A national historic landmark, it stands 725 feet above the Colorado River. With 17 generators it produces 4 billion kilowatts of electricity a year.

It attracts more than a million visitors a year and is located in Black Canyon, 35 miles outside of Las Vegas. They have two tour options that both sound quite interesting. They have some age and mobility restrictions, so it is good to call ahead and make sure which tour will work best for your group.

Due to all of the traffic crossing the current bridge, they are building a new bridge to help alleviate the current bottleneck. The bridge looks quite impressive, and is an amazing construction feat by itself.

I know that the life expectancy of my hot water heater has passed, and so I decided to look into Tankless Hot Water Heaters. Below are some of my findings.

Tankless water heaters cost more to purchase ($800-$1250), and cost more to install (average installation according to Consumer Reports is around $1250). Many models have a life expectancy of around 20 years. It is estimated that the savings is in the neighborhood of $70-$80 per year, which means it could take up to 22 years to break even. There are often rebates or incentives which would improve this return on investment. Doing an online search, I’ve read that some of these units are more favorable than others, so do your homework.

Regular hot water heater tanks cost between $300- $500 to purchase for mid range models, and cost about $300 for installation. They don’t usually require much maintenance with the exception of running the overflow valve monthly to help eliminate sludge. This may vary according to the quality of water in your area.

(more…)

Bourne Energy has come up with a portable hydro electric energy source.

Packed up, it measures 3’ in length, and weighs less than 25 lbs (Type 2, BPP-2, military version). A self contained system, it has its own integrated power, control, cooling and sensor systems. It collapses into 3 major parts which fit into a round backpack. This unit produces up to 600w (depending on river current), it operates silently with no heat or exhaust emissions. These can be set up singularly or in arrays of over 20kw.

(more…)