Hasta La Gadget!

There’s a more efficient way to harvest energy from the backyard than by wiring up hapless critters. Researchers at the University of Georgia have proof: they’ve discovered a way to generate electricity from plants through hijacking the photosynthesis process. By altering the proteins inside a plant cell’s thylakoids, which store solar energy, scientists can intercept electrons through a carbon nanotube backing that draws them away before they’re used to make sugar. While the resulting power isn’t phenomenal, it’s still two orders of magnitude better than previous methods, according to the university. The protein modification method may have a rosier future, as well: the team believes that it could eventually compete with solar cells, producing green energy in a very literal sense.

Filed under: Science, Alt

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Via: Gizmag

Source: RSC Publishing, University of Georgia

If only harnessing the power of the Sun could be as simple as sticking an outlet with a solar panel onto your window. That’s the idea designers Kyuho Song and Boa Oh are pushing for with their Window Socket concept design.

It’s basically an outlet you fasten onto any clear window so that it charges up by absorbing the sun’s solar energy. When you want to power something up, simply stick the plug into the socket and that’s it.

The design description indicates that the solar energy will be transformed into electrical energy by a converter, although I can’t really see where they could have crammed that circuitry inside of the small puck-like device.

I think the Window Socket is a grand idea, and it would be awesome if they actually managed to turn it into a reality.

[via Yanko Design]

As clever as the Nest Learning Thermostat can be, its intelligence only extends as far as the front door: it hasn’t really been aware of how neighbors or the seasons affect our power bills. Nest Labs is improving that connection to the outside world through Nest Energy Services, a new program that links its device to the collective, cloud-based knowledge of utility companies. When owners are with an Energy Services-aware provider, the thermostat will know when to brace for an energy “rush hour” and automatically limit its cooling during peak (read: expensive) periods. It also gives a heads-up for seasonal discounts that fine-tune the temperature schedule over the course of a few weeks. Unlike previous utility-guided approaches, Nest users can always retake control if they genuinely can’t stand the heat.

Only Austin Energy, Green Mountain Energy, Reliant and Southern California Edison have lined up for the synced climate control so far, although Nest is sweetening the deal by expanding utility-based discounts for the thermostat itself. Customers of National Grid can get an immediate $100 rebate through Nest, while those who sign up with Reliant can still receive their thermostats for free with certain plans. The deals are calculated tradeoffs for companies likely to recoup their investment down the road, but they could represent big wins for homeowners still jittery about paying up front to save money later.

Filed under: Household

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Source: Nest (1), (2), (3)

When a company wants a green data center, it often has to build its own energy sources. Google knows that’s sometimes not practical, even for a company its size. To that end, it’s partnering with Duke Energy on a proposed business model that would let companies explicitly purchase renewable electricity: companies could demand eco-friendly power sources, whether or not they’re the most cost-efficient. The Duke approach goes to a state commission for approval within 90 days, and it might let Google expand a Lenoir, North Carolina data center (above) with a clearer conscience and minimal costs. The real challenge may be getting other utilities to follow in Duke’s footsteps — even if there are no legal hurdles, local power providers still have to implement clean energy on a large enough scale. If they do, however, environmental responsibility may be within reach to those businesses more interested in building server farms than solar farms.

Filed under: Misc, Internet, Google

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Source: Google Official Blog

With the decreasing popularity of coal and increasing volatility of petroleum prices, natural gas is emerging as a major energy resource in the the United States. And while we have plenty of reserves, an estimated 318 Trillion cubic feet (Tcf), it’s still a non-renewable resource that must be used sparingly whenever possible—like this new natural gas power plant prototype from the Department of Energy. It produces just as much electricity with 20 percent less gas every time the sun shines. More »