Tag Archives: WindPower

NHK developing hybrid renewable energy-powered video camera for use in disaster areas

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NHK developing hybrid renewable energypowered camera for use in disaster areas

You can always count on Japan's NHK to come up with new, exciting and innovative ways to bring us video coverage. The latest project? A wind- and solar-powered robot camera designed for situations such as natural disasters. Loaded with a 1,200 Ah battery, even if the elements don't bless it with sun and air, it can keep filming for two to three days. The combination of wind turbine and solar panels obviously allow it to generate more power than either method on its own, with the turbine reportedly generating 1 kW at 11 m/s wind speeds. A special power-saving mode prevent it draining too fast when full functionality -- such as the built-in wireless, cellular and satellite broadcasting systems aren't needed. Currently the prototype is installed on a rooftop while battery and power-generation are fully tested, but it's hoped that this could lead to further developments for disaster area broadcast equipment. Or -- here's hoping -- power-cut-proof sports coverage.

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NHK developing hybrid renewable energy-powered video camera for use in disaster areas originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GE, Urban Green Energy set up first integrated, wind-powered EV charging station (video)

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GE, Urban Green Energy claim first integrated, windpowered EV charging station video

GE and Urban Green Energy might not be the first to install a wind-powered EV charging station, but the two may be the best prepared to take the concept to a grander scale. The partnership just installed the first Sanya Skypump just outside of Barcelona to serve corporate and government drivers with truly clean energy at levels that meet their typically heftier demands. It's billed as one of the first properly integrated wind-powered EV chargers, and it's undoubtedly one of the more elegant: one of UGE's 4K wind turbine towers catches energy from the breeze above, while a GE Durastation tucked neatly at the bottom provides high-voltage charging for EV drivers undoubtedly eager to get moving once again. Don't worry if you don't speak enough Catalan to charge up at the initial location, either, as plans are underway to bring Skypumps to malls and universities across Australia and the US before 2012 is over. The only catch is the frown you'll likely get if you try to plug in a personal car for a top-up -- let's hope the attention swings towards completely green power sources for commuters in the near future.

Continue reading GE, Urban Green Energy set up first integrated, wind-powered EV charging station (video)

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GE, Urban Green Energy set up first integrated, wind-powered EV charging station (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceUrban Green Energy  | Email this | Comments

GE, Urban Green Energy set up first integrated, wind-powered EV charging station (video)

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GE, Urban Green Energy claim first integrated, windpowered EV charging station video

GE and Urban Green Energy might not be the first to install a wind-powered EV charging station, but the two may be the best prepared to take the concept to a grander scale. The partnership just installed the first Sanya Skypump just outside of Barcelona to serve corporate and government drivers with truly clean energy at levels that meet their typically heftier demands. It's billed as one of the first properly integrated wind-powered EV chargers, and it's undoubtedly one of the more elegant: one of UGE's 4K wind turbine towers catches energy from the breeze above, while a GE Durastation tucked neatly at the bottom provides high-voltage charging for EV drivers undoubtedly eager to get moving once again. Don't worry if you don't speak enough Catalan to charge up at the initial location, either, as plans are underway to bring Skypumps to malls and universities across Australia and the US before 2012 is over. The only catch is the frown you'll likely get if you try to plug in a personal car for a top-up -- let's hope the attention swings towards completely green power sources for commuters in the near future.

Continue reading GE, Urban Green Energy set up first integrated, wind-powered EV charging station (video)

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GE, Urban Green Energy set up first integrated, wind-powered EV charging station (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceUrban Green Energy  | Email this | Comments

SeaOrbiter to begin construction by year’s end, project price tag clocks in at $52.7 million

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SeaOrbiter to begin construction by year's end, project price tag clocks in at $527 million

Remember that USS Enterprise-esque ocean research vessel we first ran across back in 2005? Yes, the one that was originally slated to hit the open waters in 2008 or 2009. After catching heat for its lofty ambitions for the last 12 years, the SeaOrbiter is finally set to begin construction later this year. The ship is slated to measure 170 feet (51 meters) tall, but to stabilize the vessel over half of the vehicle would stay below the surface, providing all sorts of collection systems and useful tools. Not only does it look like something out of Minority Report, but the SeaOrbiter is 100% sustainable. The ship's power is set to come from solar, wind and wave power with biofuel in case nature doesn't cooperate -- when the vessel isn't adrift via ocean currents. Funding has been obtained for the $52.7 million undertaking, which will produce an endless amount of data on global warming and marine biology around the globe. For a look at some renders of the massive vehicle, click though the gallery below for a quick peek.

Gallery: SeaOrbiter marine research vehicle

SeaOrbiter to begin construction by year's end, project price tag clocks in at $52.7 million originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 18:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: NY Design Week, a hybrid Porsche and recycled sportswear

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Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

ny design week

Want a sneak peek into the future of design? This week Inhabitat hit NY Design Week to uncover the best and the brightest in green interior and furniture design. At ICFF we spotted an ethereal series of 3D printed Hyphae lamps and we were wowed by the iTree -- a massive iPod sound system made out of an entire tree trunk! We also saw LED technology take on surprising new forms - like Light and Contrast's tiny flower-shaped lamps and Peteris Zilbers' quirky mood broom lamp (yes, it's shaped like a broom). We'll continue with the New York Design Week coverage throughout next week, so come back to Inhabitat in the coming days for more fresh new design finds, and read on beyond the break for more in the here and now.

Continue reading Inhabitat's Week in Green: NY Design Week, a hybrid Porsche and recycled sportswear

Inhabitat's Week in Green: NY Design Week, a hybrid Porsche and recycled sportswear originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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University of California, Riverside runs entire building floor off of 1.1-megawatt green battery

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University of California, Riverside runs entire building floor off of 1.1-megawatt green battery

We're used to batteries powering a lot of devices, but the University of California, Riverside is upping that a notch by charging up a whole floor's worth. The school's Winston Chung Global Energy Center is walking the eco-friendly walk and has started using a huge bank of rare earth, lithium-ion batteries from Balqon to produce 1.1 megawatts, enough to keep Winston Chung Hall's entire first floor humming along while tapping renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. The batteries bank their energy overnight, keeping the throngs of students happy without having to recharge as much or use the regular power grid as a fallback. While it's considered a testbed, the university's giant battery is considered a blueprint for cellular towers and the green power sources themselves -- the combination of which could keep your smartphone up and running with a lot less of an environmental hit.

[Thanks, Justin B]

University of California, Riverside runs entire building floor off of 1.1-megawatt green battery originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 21:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceUCR Today  | Email this | Comments