Let me be the first to confess: I love my laptop. I spend more time with it than most people in my life, including family, room mates, and boyfriend. I might even go so far as to admit an unhealthy infatuation with the Internet, writing, and a handful of computer … [continued]
They’re not sexy, and the Department of Energy estimates 13% of your home energy consumption goes into a big tank of hot water. I’ve seen other estimates that go higher, and a larger or older tank will burn more energy. So your water heater may be one of the more … [continued]
What if computers didn’t get hot and batteries never lost their battery life? What if you could help power your car with the heat of its engine? Conducting electricity from one point to another, and then putting it to good use, is one of the linchpins of our modern lives. … [continued]
Solar thermal technology provides space heating and hot water and is a frequently forgotten member of the solar family. These highly effective systems are popular in many parts of the globe, from China to Greece to Zimbabwe. They displace the use of the existing hot water heater and heating equipment, … [continued]
What does it take to encourage, empower, or help an office go green? How about a touch-screen kiosk with real-time energy usage and tools to see your individual impact? Yahoo! has unveiled the Green Screen where employees can play with data to see how much energy they could save with … [continued]
What lessons can be learned from this tiny car, that Europeans are calling Un-American? When my husband and I look for a parking spot on the crowded Chicago streets, we often joke that our tiny Smart car would have many potential parking spots. Our joke can now become a reality … [continued]
Three–hundred twenty-six million trillion! It sounds like a number I would come up with as a kid, say, in reference to the number of things I find disgusting about my sister, or the number of reasons I need a new bike, or the number of mosquito bites I got on a … [continued]
The internet is saving 10 times the energy required to run an internet-linked computer. Remember when renting a movie required a trip to the video store or checking a bank balance required a visit to the bank? Now, anything from used books to driving maps are just a click away. … [continued]
When we think about “clean” energy, we envision big, dark solar panels out in a field or on a roof. Or maybe wind turbines with those big whooshing propellers. What we don’t often think about are the other components that make solar panels and other technologies possible and practical for … [continued]
