Energy and Carbon
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Printable Lithium Batteries Coming Soon
First came printable solar cells, then printable OLED lights and now ladies and gentlemen, we have printable lithium batteries. Japanese researchers have announced they've developed a way to manufacture the batteries with mass-output, roll-to-roll printing technology. The printed battery sheet is very thin (500 μm), flexible (allowing it to be attached to curved surfaces) and designed for use with a flexible solar battery, a combination that could be both a power generator and power storage unit. The battery prototypes have an output voltage of 2V - 4V, but the battery capacity hasn't been revealed. The benefit of the roll-to-roll printing is that it's highly efficient, meaning cheaper production. Unlike other prototype technology, this cool breakthrough isn't one that we'll have to wait 10 years to see in production.
from EcoGeek on 14 January 2010 | Direct link | Comment on this
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Wind Turbines to Power Cell Phone Towers
Small-scale wind turbines can't produce the large amounts of power that their giant brothers can, but there's still room for them in the renewable energy landscape. As an example, cell phone company Core Communications will begin using small vertical-axis wind turbines to power their cell phone towers.
from EcoGeek on 13 November 2009 | Direct link | Comment on this
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Finally! A Recycling Plant for Dirty Diapers
UK companies Versus Energy and Knowaste are partnering up to build the world's first diaper recycling plant. Not only will the diapers collected stay out of landfills, but the plant will actually run on the organic matter contained in them.
from EcoGeek on 13 November 2009 | Direct link | Comment on this
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Europe Testing Road Trains to Cut Fuel Use
Have you ever been driving in rush hour and wished you could just zone out and read a book during your trip instead of stressing about the traffic? Well, the EU is testing a way to make that possible while cutting fuel consumption at the same time. The idea is that eight vehicles would travel as one "train," linked by wireless sensors. It's believed that the system, called Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE), could cut fuel use by 20 percent for cars traveling in the trains.
from EcoGeek on 12 November 2009 | Direct link | Comment on this
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Bacteria Could Rid the World of Packaging Waste
Consumer and shipping packaging can be incredibly wasteful. Some companies are downsizing their packaging, but many products sitll come wrapped and boxed in ridiculous amounts of plastic, paper, cardboard - you name it. One designer has come up with a way to get rid of the waste by wrapping objects in bacteria, creating a biodegradable, custom-fitting shell. Both gross and exciting!
from EcoGeek on 10 November 2009 | Direct link | Comment on this