Hasta La Gadget!

Yesterday we saw what a road made of glass could look like, today we get to see a glass roof. Swedish company SolTech Energy has developed a new type of ceiling tile, made from glass, that can help heat a home.

The tiles are made from standard glass and are mounted on a black nylon canvas. Because the tiles are clear, the canvas is able to absorb the sun’s rays and that heat is then used to heat up water that powers the home’s heating system. And not only will the roofing tiles help lower your heating bills, but SolTech also claims that the glass tiles last longer than traditional ones made from clay or concrete, due in large part to the fact that they are UV resistant.

Via Inhabitat.

An electric, solar powered tricycle may not sound all that cool, but it doesn’t get much cooler than this creation from New York artist Josh Hadar.

The vicious looking three wheel bike runs on a Mars Electric motor, giving it 6.4 horsepower and a range of up to 30 miles. It features an 8.4 foot long carbon steel frame, a 20 inch front wheel, and two 26 inch wheels in the back. To add to the bike’s green sense of style, Hadar uses a series of six solar panels to keep it charged and ready to go.

Via Wired.

Earlier this week, the government’s Epic Super Laser of Death (which they–less awesomely–call the “National Ignition Facility” or “NIF“) embarked on what may prove to be the most groundbreaking science experiment of modern times. The NIF took made its first bid to capture that great white whale of modern physics: controlled nuclear fusion.

Nuclear fusion–the engine that makes stars run–has never been achieved on earth in a controlled fashion. If fusion power were to be harnessed, it would give mankind the power to tap a vast new source of clean energy, permanently replacing the need for fossil fuels.

During the initial “dry run,” 192 laser beams converged on a 30-foot-diameter metal sphere where they delivered a 1 megajoule jolt to a “peppercorn-sized” pellet filled with hydrogen. The pellet was pulverized, exploding into a burst of neutrons–exactly what scientists expected to happen. During this first run, the laser system was only firing at 75% of its potential power. Further experimental runs throughout the fall will potentially (hopefully) create fusion, thus negating the need to turn off your lights when you leave the house. 

NIF’s little star factory is housed in a $3.5 billion, 10-story facility the width of three football fields. It is part of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory an hour’s drive east of San Francisco. Scientists have until 2012 to make fusion a reality, because at that point the facilities will be turn over for military use, perhaps to create a literal Death Star.

Like looking at stuff? The Big Picture has a nice photo essay from the NIF.

via inhabitat, Newsweek

Google may be best known for its ubiquitous search engine, but the company is also making strides to invest in renewable energy as well. To that end, Google announced that it will be investing in the Atlantic Wind Connection, a transmission backbone that will utilize offshore wind energy to create enough power for 1.9 million homes. For Google, the decision to invest was made because it was “both good business and good for the environment.”

“We believe in investing in projects that make good business sense and further the development of renewable energy,” Rick Needham, Google’s Green Business Operations Director, wrote on the official company blog. “We’re willing to take calculated risks on early stage ideas and projects that can have dramatic impacts while offering attractive returns. This willingness to be ahead of the industry and invest in large scale innovative projects is core to our success as a company.”

Once complete, the Atlantic Wind Connection will be located on a 350 mile stretch off the coast of New Jersey and Virginia. No word yet on when it is expected to be fully functional.

Toyota recently announced that it had reached a new milestone, selling more than two million Prius hybrids since the car first launched back in 1997. And the sales number for the Prius have been steadily increasing as well, with the car selling more than 400,000 units in 2009 and already in 2010.

But while these numbers sound great, when put in perspective it’s clear to see just how far hybrid and electric vehicles have to go to achieve mass market penetration. Automotive blog Jalopnik has put together a chart outlining this fact, by showing that over the same period of time, while two million Prius’ were sold worldwide, more than 34 million pick-up trucks were sold in the United States alone. And even with the sales of electric and hybrid vehicles on the rise and those for pick-ups in decline, there’s clearly still a lot of ground to make up.

Image courtesy Jalopnik.