Our model of exponential growth in consumption of energy, natural resources and raw materials cannot last forever.

Eco Factor: Recyclable computer saves energy.

The recent advancements in technology are making gadgets smaller, more efficient and more powerful. Chip and hardware manufacturers are racing against time to develop the smallest circuits which could be used to power the most efficient computers designed to take the load of our future needs. Avery Holleman is one such designer who believes that computers of tomorrow will be completely different to the boxes which we are accustomed to. Avery is the designer of a stunning computer system called the Napkin PC.

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Eco Gadgets: Napkin PC – ‘Green’ computer to encourage group interaction

Yesterday in Part 2 we looked at the payout and savings data at the end of ecoENERGY Residential Retrofit program’s second year.

Today we look at data surrounding the type of energy efficiency and / or conservation upgrades within the program. Once again, our thanks to the Medial Relations group within Natural Resources Canada for providing us with this data about the ecoENERGY program.  These are quite busy days for this group, so receiving this data from them at this time is greatly appreciated.

OK here we go.

This data is for the 1st two years of the ecoENERGY Residential Retrofit program.

Ever wonder which energy efficiency and / or conservation renovations homeowners have actually made under the program? I mean, a single ENERGY STAR rated replacement window costs (at least it did us) $500 and up, yet the Federal portion of the applicable ecoENERGY grant is only $30, now $37.50 with the temporary 25% increase in all ecoENERGY grants announced at the end of last month.

At the other end of the spectrum a participating household can receive $4,375 from the Federal government (remember, most Provinces and Territories provide their own matching grant) for installing between the first and second energy efficiency assessments (i.e. energy audits) by installing “…an earth-energy system that is compliant with CAN/CSA-C448 and certified by the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition…”.

Now, for this data we are going to compare the percentage of houses which were 

recommended

specific

upgrades from the D or first energy audit (based on 279,363 houses) to the percentage of houses which 

undertook

the 
actual upgrades for those 94,006 home who have had the E or second energy audit:

                                         Recommended                  Undertaken

Basement                                  55%                                  23%

Attic                                            61%                                  28%

Walls                                           28%                                  14%

Draftproofing                            77%                                  87%

Space Heating                          64%                                  64%

Windows & Doors                     63%                                  32%

Notice any interesting data in the above?

Draft proofing was the most popular, possibly because it costs the least amount to do and because draft proofing is also aided by several different upgrades such as ENERGY STAR windows and door, attic insulation, etc.

Space heating was very popular as well, with most of the participating households who received this recommendation on their first energy audit’s report did in fact undertake this upgrade.

Personally, I am surprised of the significant decrease in the percentage of houses which had attic insulation added . Yes, I just checked this percentage again right now.   It is unfortunate that many homeowners whose energy efficiency assessment report from the first ecoENERGY energy audit contained recommendation to increase attic insulation chose to not do this. Attic insulation receives between $500 and $750 (plus same again from most Provinces and Territories) ecoENERGY grant where there was R-12 or less rated attic insulation as the starting point.

Based on what it cost us to increase the insulation of the attic in our home, between the Federal and Provincial / Territory ecoENERGY grants and the resultant savings in heading utility bills, for many homes the financial payback for increased attic insulation is one of, if not the, best for any of the ecoENERGY program’s energy efficiency / conservation upgrades.

Another piece of information which you might find useful or interesting is which particular types of energy efficiency / conservation upgrades within the ecoENERGY program were the most popular based on the age of the dwelling.

The

older

the building the more likely it was to have seen it’s basement, attic, walls as well as windows and doors improved:

• 
  
  Basement 
  
              => Pre-1945 (42%) vs 1990-1999 (  8%)
• 
  
  Attic
  
                        => Pre-1945 (44%) vs 1990-1999 (  8%)
• 
  
  Walls
  
                       => Pre-1945 (32%) vs 1990-1999 (  1%)
• 
  
  Windows/Doors
  
      => Pre-1945 (39%) vs 1990-1999 (17%)

 On the other hand, the yonger the building the more likely it was to have had it’s space heating improved:

• 
  Space Heating
  
       => Pre-1945 (51%) vs 1990-1999 (71%)

So, those vendors / suppliers in ‘the business’, now you too know where you might want to be placing your marketing dollars and focus based on the age of the house.

Next time, we will take a look at the changes in the EnerGuide ratings for those homes which have completed both of the energy audits within the ecoENERGY Residential Retrofit program. Until then.

Lots of people leave their PCs on overnight.  Often, this is for no good reason whatsoever, it’s just out of laziness.  But sometimes it’s a conscious decision: if you want your computer to continue receiving updates, or transmit/receive information of any kind during the wee hours of the night, you need to leave it on.  But even the lowest power settings generally burn more power than you need to do that minimal amount of computing.

Now, those people can use a system called Somniloquy.  Although this device may be hard to spell, it does offer a cool service.  Most computers have four levels of power consumption – regular use, standby, sleep/hibernate mode and completely shut down.  A lot of people, including myself, prefer to hibernate their PCs rather than shut them off, because it allows them to start up again more quickly.  With Somniloquy, you can hibernate your PC and still have it communicate with other PCs.  Check out more details on Phys.org.

As for those who are just leaving their computers on out of sheer laziness – they do not deserve a cool new Somniloquy.  They should just turn off your computers.

Via Treehugger
Image via System Surgeon

A friend likes to chide me sometimes for believing in “technologies that don’t exist yet”. It is certainly important to distinguish between technologies that could be implemented quickly given proper investment, and scaled to the proper degree (such as EVs) and technologies that will always be 10 to 20 years away, no matter how promising they sound (such as nuclear fusion).

What about superconductors? Superconductors are wires that transmit much more electricity than is carried over regular high-voltage lines, and do so in relatively thin wires (described in one article as “about the size of linguini”). There is hope that one day these superconductors will form the backbone of our national grid, transmitting huge amounts of power quickly and efficiently across the nation – the electric equivalent of the interstate superhighway system.

But on the aforementioned scale of around-the-corner to always-10-years away, the general impression is that superconductors are a futuristic technology that doesn’t, as my friend would say, exist yet.

Eco Factor: Water circulator improves water quality using solar energy.

The SolarBee long-distance water circulator helps improve water quality in lakes and other potable water sources, by creating a gentle and laminar flow over a long distance. The device improves biodiversity in lakes and helps eliminate thermal stratification and stagnation in potable water.

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Eco Gadgets: SolarBee Long Distance Water Circulator makes fresh water fresh

Spain has got a lot of green going on – tons of solar, tons of wind and a bullet train. If you are American and you are unfamiliar with bullet trains… it’s probably because we don’t have any. Spain does, though, as do other European countries and Japan. Bullet trains are simply high speed trains that offer a convenient alternative to flying.

Spain’s bullet train is called Alta Velocidad Española, or AVE (Spanish for “bird”, which makes for nice imagery). It can travel at speeds up to 218 mph and it spans a huge corridor from Barcelona to Madrid to Seville. The AVE is a work still in progress and, if all goes according to plan, 90% of the Spanish population will live within 31 miles of an AVE station.

As this WSJ article reports, the AVE has tremendously affected life for many Spaniards. Traditionally, Spain has been a country where people stayed close to home when it came to college and jobs. Now, many people are moving into towns that were once dying out because those towns have AVE stations. Colleges in such towns can attract more students and qualified professors. Businesses start up. All because of the connectivity.

Of course, it should be noted that not everyone in Spain is happy that the government is pouring money into the AVE project. After all, the country’s economy is slumping, and it will take a long time, if ever, to make back the money being spent.

Still, it’s worth considering the train’s merits, especially as we ponder over the possibility of building our own high speed rail in California. And wouldn’t it be fitting if California, which owes much of its history to the Spanish, drew Spanish inspiration for its trains as well?

Via WSJ

Quite a few companies have tried their hand at portable renewable energy charging devices, resulting in some clever ideas like solar messenger bags and mini solar generators. But it seems like there still hasn’t been a perfect solution for recharging your gadgets with renewable energy while you’re on the go. Well, the new K3 Charger from Kinesis Industries may just be the best solution yet.

The charger, set for release in June, is the size of a flashlight and generates both solar and wind power to charge your gadgets. The K3 can recharge cell phones, iPods, iPhones and digital cameras through a USB port and various adapters.

The combination of solar and wind means you’re not out of luck if one or the other is unavailable when you need a charge or, if you’d rather just charge it before you leave the house, it also comes with an AC adapter. The small size also allows easy transport in a backpack or even a purse.

The company claims that a fully charged K3 can charge a cell phone more than five times, so you may be able to get rid of that car adapter and just keep one of these in your glove compartment from now on. Pricing information is still unavailable.

via Inhabitat

Corn is no better — and might be worse — than petroleum when total greenhouse gas emissions are considered.

Editor’s note: Jim “Mr. Earth on Steroids” Motavalli was invited on Fox Business News on Earth Day to discuss global warming with Neil Cavuto. “Discuss” is more than generous, as you’ll see, but Jim manages to repel just about every tired argument Cavuto throws at him for head-in-the-sand energy and environmental policy. Jim’s off-the-cuff reaction to it all: “Great fun to do. I love stuff like that.”