SOLAR-POWERED TREES

eTree is a social enterprise which aims to promote environmental awareness and sustainability, to create a link between the community environment.


All trees convert sunlight into chemical energy, but now there are trees that convert sunlight into power to charge devices, cool water, offer free Wi-Fi and more for the benefit of their surrounding communities. Thanks to an imaginative idea from an Israeli company called Sologic, solar-powered trees are taking root to raise environmental awareness while providing green energy.

The eTree comprises a metal trunk that branches out to support solar panels instead of leaves. The structure, which looks like a pixelated tree in an 8-bit video game, uses the energy captured by the solar panels to provide USB charging outlets for smartphones and tablets, free Wi-Fi, a water trough for pets, a drinking-water fountain for humans, nighttime lighting and informational LCD screens.

One Acacia model eTree (the kind planted in Israel) costs about $100,000. A seven-panel version can generate up to 1.4 kilowatts, which is enough to run 35 laptops.

The big price tag means the eTree probably won’t replace traditional rooftop solar panels, but it has a chance at becoming a popular eye-pleasing fixture in parks across the globe, according to Eli Barnea, an investor in Israel’s largest private power company.

Sologic foresees future eTrees utilizing cameras along with touchscreen displays to enable someone standing beneath one solar-powered tree to say hello to someone else standing beneath another eTree planted anywhere in the world.

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Stafier's solar roof tiles appear wafier thin

If aesthetic concerns are keeping you from buying some solar panels to stick on your roof, Stafier's expansion into photovoltaics may be of interest. As phrases go "support system" is about as exciting as sniffing cardboard, but though that is what this is, the upshot is that the solar panels are more or less flush to the surrounding tiles, keeping your roof's even apperance.

Though they appear to be extremely thin PV panels, they are in fact set into the roof, replacing the tiles that were there. The Dutch company claims the system works with more or less any sort of roof, and uses aluminum sheets to create a seal between your solar panels and ordinary tiles. A panel the size of four tiles can generate up to 55 W of electrical power.

According to Red Dot, which recently gave Stafier a design award for the product, the system has been tested under rainstorm conditions in a wind tunnel and found to be weatherproof (you'd hope, wouldn't you?). A ventilation system built into the rear of the tile helps keep them cool, as though PV panels like light, heat actually compromises their efficiency.
This article is belong to Gizmag.com very informative web site here is the link below you can follow that site 
http://www.gizmag.com/stafier-solar-roof-tiles/28177/

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Eden Project – the biggest conservatory in the world

Located in Cornwall, UK, in what once was a disused clay mine, you can discover a rich and abundant garden with over one million plants. Considered by the Guinness Book of Records to be the world's largest greenhouse, the Eden Project is a unique resource center for people who want to know more about nature and the environment.

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Constructed in a 160 year-old dormant clay mine and under the guidance of Eden's chief executive, Tim Smit, a team of horticulturalists created the site, which consists of three main biomes. These bubble-like structures were constructed using tubular steel space-frames featuring ETFE (ethyltetrafluoroethylene) hexagonal panels. During the first couple of months of construction, 43 million gallons (162.7 million liters) of rainwater drained into the site, which prompted the engineers to come up with a subterranean drainage system. It is currently used to collect all the rainwater entering the site.

The Eden Project showcases three major biomes: the Rainforest Biome (big enough to fit the Tower of London), the Mediterranean Biome and the open-air Outdoor Biome. Inside the Rainforest Biome, you can explore steamy rainforests in what is reportedly the world's largest enclosed jungle. It contains tropical plants, a huge cascading waterfall and a canopy lookout. The internal climate is controlled using automated misters to moisten the air (90 percent relative humidity at night, 60 percent in the day), whilst ground-level pipes irrigate the soil. In addition, the waterfall uses recycled water and also helps keep humidity high.

Strolling through the balmy Mediterranean Biome, you can enjoy the scent of lemon trees, olives trees, grape vines and perfumed herbs. It's a representation of plants naturally found in the Mediterranean, South Africa and California. This biome's climate is kept drier, and open vents are used to reduce humidity and therefore fungal problems.

The Outdoor Biome displays an array of flora that suits the UK climate including tea, lavender, hops, hemp and sunflowers. The garden also serves as a source of information, featuring stories of plants, and how they can be used to create medicine, fuels, materials and food throughout the world.

Last month during its global torch relay, the World Harmony Run carried its torch to the Eden Project and presented a special award to Tim Smit, "for his major contribution to changing the world into one where, in his own words, 'plants provide a canvas on which we can paint an optimistic future.'"

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Renewable energy-powered development planned for Denmark

Proposed for the Aalborg Waterfront in Denmark, a new housing development would feature 60 apartments, from 4 to 12 stories high, all supplied with a 100 percent renewable energy source. This zero-energy project has been proposed by Scandinavian architectural firm C. F. Møller, in collaboration with energy consultants, Cenergia.

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Møller's architectural design features a south-facing roof-plane, fitted with 1,200 sq. m. (1,435 sq. yds.) of photovoltaic and solar thermal panels. The solar paneling is reportedly capable of producing 104,000 KWh of electricity annually, which is estimated to be enough to cover the yearly electricity demand of every apartment (at 1,740 Kwh each). In addition, four vertical axis low-noise wind turbines take advantage of strong western winds, creating an additional power supply to recharge electric cars. A rainwater collection system is used to irrigate the surrounding gardens, whilst the lush landscaping helps maintain a clean air environment. Tall window openings allow for natural light to filter through to the apartments' living zones, an example of the passive-housing standards that are incorporated to ensure reduced energy consumption all round.

This slide-like shape of the building creates a distinctive silhouette, which is positioned between Aalborg's main bridges. The roof-plane appears as if it is stretching into the water's edge, where an underpass shelters a public gazebo and café. The extension of the roof is a visual display of the building's power plant, and whilst it may take precedence over optimum, waterfront views, it's essential to the building's sustainable design.

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Gemasolar Concentrated Solar Power achieves key milestone - 24 hours of uninterrupted supply

The Gemasolar Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant near Seville, Spain, has achieved a full 24 hours of solar power production one month after starting commercial operation. The 19.9 MW plant uses a huge array of mirrors to heat a molten salt storage system in the central tower which is then used to run steam turbines, resulting in the ability to continue energy production after the sun goes down.

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Built by Torresol Energy - a joint venture between energy company Masdar of Abu Dhabi and Spanish engineering firm SENER, - the Gemasolar plant opened last May in Fuentes de Andalucia. Its central tower is surrounded by 2,650 heliostats (mirrors) that stretch approximately 185 hectares. The mirrors concentrate the solar radiation at a ratio of 1000:1 and at the central receiver in the 140 m (450 ft) tower temperatures can exceed 500-degrees Centigrade (932°F). The molten salts (which are able to retain 95% of the radiation from the sun's spectrum) are then stored in specially designed tanks, where high temperatures can be maintained at a level to facilitate the generation of electricity through steam turbines even after dusk.

"Gemasolar achieved optimal performance in its systems in the last week of June. The high performance of the installations coincided with several days of excellent solar radiation which made it possible for the hot-salt storage tank to reach full capacity," said Diego Ramírez, Director of Production at Torresol Energy. "We're hoping that in the next few days our supply to the network will reach an average of 20 hours a day."

The has already started supplying electricity to 25,000 local homes and more of the plants are planned.

"Masdar is currently working on other solar power projects within the UAE including Shams One and Noor One projects, each with 100MW capacity," said Frank Wouters, Director of Masdar Power.

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Solar panels not just cool for the environment but cool for buildings as well

According to a team of researchers at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, the solar panels sprouting on increasing numbers of residential and commercial rooftops around the world aren't just generating green electricity, they're also helping keep the buildings cool. The news that letting photovoltaic panels take the solar beating will reduce the amount of heat reaching the roof shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but the fact no one has thought to quantify just what the effects of rooftop solar panels on a building's temperature are is a little baffling.

Although the observations for the study were taken over the short period of three days in April this year, Jan Kleissl, a professor of environmental engineering at the UC San Diego, and his team believe they the first peer-reviewed measurements of the cooling benefits provided by solar photovoltaic panels. And despite the limited time, Kleissl is confident his team developed a model that allows them to extrapolate their findings to predict cooling effects throughout the year.

Using a thermal imaging camera, the team gathered data on the roof of the Powell Structural Systems Laboratory at the Jacobs School of Engineering, which is equipped with tilted solar panels as well as solar panels that are flush with the roof, while some of the roof is not covered by any solar panels at all.

They determined that during the day, the panels reduced the amount of heat reaching the roof by about 38 percent and as a result the building's ceiling was five degrees Fahrenheit (three degrees Celsius) cooler than the ceiling under an exposed roof. Tilting panels with a gap between the building and the solar panel that allowed air to circulate were found to provide a bigger cooling effect than flush solar panels. Kleissl and his team say the amount saved on cooling the building amounts to a five percent discount on the price of the solar panels over their lifetime.

Additionally, the panels help hold heat in at night to cut heating costs in winter. On the flip side, however, the panels would also keep the sun from heating up a building in winter and would keep the heat accumulated in the building during the day in summer from escaping at night. Therefore the effects effectively cancel each other out in many climates.

"There are more efficient ways to passively cool buildings, such as reflective roof membranes," said Kleissl. "But, if you are considering installing solar photovoltaic, depending on your roof thermal properties, you can expect a large reduction in the amount of energy you use to cool your residence or business."

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Wind turbine placement to optimize wind power generation for a given area

Although wind power energy production in 2010 was estimated to be only about 2.5 percent of worldwide electricity usage, wind turbines are considered a mature technology with many experts suggesting that we're approaching the theoretical limit of individual wind turbine efficiency. For this reason, researchers are now looking at new approaches to wind farm design to increase the power output of wind farms. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have been conducting a field study and claim the power output of wind farms can be increased at least tenfold by optimizing the placement of turbines on a given plot of land.

While most wind farms employing horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) - the standard propeller-like turbines most commonly found in wind farms around the world - space the individual turbines around seven rotor diameters apart, a recent study found that spacing of at least 15 rotor diameters apart produced the most cost-efficient power generation. But even though spreading the turbines out increases the cost-efficiencies by allowing for fewer individual turbines, it also lowers the power output of a given plot of land.

To compensate for the energy loss resulting from the wake generated from one turbine interfering with neighboring turbines, HAWT wind farms also resort to using bigger blades and taller towers that are capable of taking advantage of the more powerful gusts of wind found at greater heights. But these larger structures result in increased production and maintenance costs, visual, acoustic, and radar signatures problems, as well as more bat and bird impacts.

In an attempt to develop a more efficient wind farm design that maximizes its energy-collecting efficiency at heights closer to the ground, John Dabiri, Caltech professor of aeronautics and bioengineering, and his colleagues turned to vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) - turbines like the Windspire that have vertical rotors and look like eggbeaters sticking out of the ground. VAWTs aren't more prominently used today because they tend to be less efficient individually and previous generations suffered from structural failures relating to fatigue.

But Dabiri says, "advances in materials and in predicting aerodynamic loads have led to new designs that are better equipped to withstand fatigue loads." Additionally, because VAWTs can be positioned very close together they are able to capture nearly all the energy of the blowing wind, and so the lower efficiency of individual turbines is not as much of an issue.

Dabiri carried out field tests in the summer of 2010 at an experimental farm known as the Field Laboratory for Optimized Wind Energy (FLOWE), which houses 24 10-meter-tall, 1.2-meter-wide VAWTs. In the field tests, which used six VAWTs, Dabiri and his colleagues measured the rotational speed and power generated by each of the turbines when placed in a number of different configurations. One turbine was kept in a fixed position for every configuration, while the others were on portable footings that allowed them to be shifted around.

They found that the aerodynamic interference between neighboring turbines was completely eliminated when all the turbines in an array were spaced four turbine diameters (roughly five meters or 16 feet) apart. In comparison, propeller-style HAWTs would need to be spaced 20 rotor diameters apart - which equates to a distance of more than one mile for the largest wind turbines currently in use - for the aerodynamic interference to be eliminated.

The six VAWTs generated from 21 to 47 watts of power per square meter of land area, while a comparably sized HAWT farm generates just two to three watts per square meter.

"Our results are a compelling call for further research on alternatives to the wind energy status quo," Dabiri says. "Since the basic unit of power generation in this approach is smaller, the scaling of the physical forces involved predicts that turbines in our wind farms can be built using less expensive materials, manufacturing processes, and maintenance than is possible with current wind turbines."

The researchers plan to scale up their field demonstration and are looking to improve upon the off-the-shelf wind turbine designs used for their field study.

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Invention In Renewable Energy Solar Panel Free Energy

www.SolarPoweredHome.us – So, you are interested in knowing how to generate power and reduce your electricity bills, than you have come to the right place. With the ever increasing costs of living and global warming, there should be better time when we stop throwing money out the window and save some by starting to generate our own electricity.

Whether you want to simply cut your power bills to half or completely eliminate them the one stop solution is SolarPoweredHome. Why pay a huge amount like 00s for utilization of solar or wind power when you can have the opportunity to build your own home made solar system for less than 0. Thats right, there are guides that teach you everything you need to know about generating your own electricity by using wind and solar power. With the complete step-by-step setup fully illustrated manuals and easy to follow video instructions present in the guide you will be able to create renewable energy at home. Solar and wind power systems brought from the market costs higher but the guide and the program in it gives you the information that is required to get the same results at a tiny price. Once you have learned and ready to build and install your alternate power supply, you will save hundreds of dollars on your electricity bill. You need not have to build a 500 hundred foot high wind turbine to save lots of money on energy, a much smaller can be built by following the instructions present in the SolarPoweredHome kit.

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Intelligent street light system uses 80 percent less electricity

Of all the energy-saving tips out there, probably the one we hear most often is to not leave lights on when we leave a room. It's good advice, yet cities around the world are not following it in one key way - their streetlights stay on all night long, even when no one is on the street. The Netherlands' Delft University of Technology is experimenting with a new streetlight system on its campus, however, in which motion sensor-equipped streetlights dim to 20 percent power when no people or moving vehicles are near them. The system is said to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent, plus it lowers maintenance costs and reduces light pollution.

Delft Management of Technology alumnus Chintan Shah designed the system, which can be added to any dimmable streetlight. The illumination comes from LED bulbs, which are triggered by motion sensors. As a person or car approaches, their movement is detected by the closest streetlight, and its output goes up to 100 percent. Because the lights are all wirelessly linked to one another, the surrounding lights also come on, and only go back down to 20 percent once the commuter has passed through. This essentially creates a "pool of light" that precedes and follows people wherever they go, so any thugs lurking in the area should be clearly visible well in advance.

The lights' wireless communications system also allows them to automatically notify a central control room when failures (such as burnt-out bulbs) occur. This should make maintenance much simpler, as crews will know exactly where to go, and when.

Some fine-tuning is still ongoing, in order to keep the lights from being activated by things like swaying branches or wandering cats. In the meantime, Shah has formed a spin-off company named Tvilight to market the Delft technology. He claims that municipalities utilizing the system should see it paying for itself within three to four years of use.

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Solar-Sinter 3D printer creates glass objects from sun and sand

We've seen a growing number 3D printers that use additive manufacturing technology to form objects one

layer at a time, usually from resin or ABS plastic. But Markus Kayser, an MA student at the Royal College of Art in London, has created a 3D printer that creates 3D objects using two things found in abundance in the desert - sun and sand. As well as being powered by the sun via two photovoltaic panels, the Solar-Sinter also focuses the sun's rays to heat sand to its melting point so it then solidifies as glass when it cools, allowing the computer controlled device to produce glass objects from 3D computer designs.

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Kayser's inspiration for the Solar-Sinter grew out a previous solar-powered machine he created called the Sun-Cutter. This device was a low-energy version of a laser cutter that was also powered by the sun and focused the sun's rays through a glass ball lens to 'laser' cut 2D components from 0.4 mm thick plywood, paper or card using a cam-guided system. Kayser says the experience of testing the Sun-Cutter in the Egyptian desert led to the idea of the Solar-Sinter.

Whereas many traditional 3D printers use lasers to melt and soften materials, such as resin or plastic powder, until the particles adhere to each other in a process known as sintering, Kayser realized he could use the sun's rays in place of a laser and silica sand in place of resin or plastic powder to create 3D glass objects.

Kayser first tested a manually-operated solar-sintering machine in the Moroccan desert in February, 2011, and, encouraged by the results, developed a larger and fully-automated computer driven version that he took to the Sahara Desert near Siwa, Egypt for a two week testing period in May.

That device consists of a large Fresnel lens that focuses the sun's rays to a focal point onto a platform holding the silica sand. Two photovoltaic panels power a sun tracker that keeps the focal point on target. When one layer is completed, the platform drops down to allow for the sintering of the next layer, and so on until the object is completed.

Kayser says the results of those first experiments, which can be seen in the video below, "represent the initial significant steps towards what I envisage as a new solar-powered production tool of great potential."

The Solar-Sinter is also on show at the 2011 Royal College of Art graduate exhibition currently running until July 3, 2011.

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