Rajni Mehta: As we know it Going green is the new mantra around the world. There is hardly any area that has not been touched by this noble idea. People want to contribute towards a greener world in every possible way and thus the invention of Eco-friendly mobile phones. Now we are ready to be introduced to cell phones that contribute to the world’s environment since they are made of green materials. Since cellphones are an indispensable part of our lives and every other person possesses one or more cellphones, therefore acquiring and using these Eco-friendly cellphones would surely make a positive impact towards the world environment, even if it’s not a huge one. Recycled cellphones The use of toxic materials or materials that are hazardous for the environment is not uncommon in cellphones. In fact, an ordinary cellphone includes a good percentage of toxic materials that are seriously harmful for the environment of the planet. Most of these cellphones are dumped and not recycled which leads to around sixty-seven thousand metric tons of toxic waste around the world every year. Need for change The regular cellphones are difficult to disassemble and hence, an extremely low percentage of the total number of phones discarded off each year are recycled, thus leading to more environment pollution and damage. Therefore, the need of the hour is to shift our attention to Eco-friendly cellphones that are made of bio-degradable materials. These cellphones decrease green house gas emission, have longer life, save energy and are easy to recycle. Thus, these environmentally friendly mobile phones help to fight against climate change and global warming. What’s next? 1. Samsung Reclaim Green Phone: 80 Percent Recyclable Materials Samsung Reclaim Green Phone What’s new? Samsung Reclaim, the phone that includes 80 percent materials that are recyclable, is the first one of its kind. The design of the phone consists of organic mechanism and packaging. With more than 40 percent of the casing of this phone being made of corn-based bio-plastic, this phone surely is a unique one in the list of green cellphones. The phone, though uses unconventional and Eco-friendly materials for construction, includes all the features that you would expect to find in any other standard mobile phone of the current times. The slim, lightweight phone offers you a host of features like QWERTY keyboard, high speed 3G, GPS, Sprint TV, web browsing, 2MP camera, music and streaming music support, camcorder, Bluetooth, microSD memory slot, voice activated dialing, longer battery life along with a number of other exciting features. What difference will it make? This phone will make an impact in a number of ways. Firstly, it will encourage cell phone users to use green phones. Once the users learn that these green phones offer everything that a regular phone does and at the same time helps him/her to contribute towards improvement of the environment, users would be excited and motivated to use green phones. This phone would also encourage cellphone manufacturers to come up with more designs of green phones. Apart from that, this phone would set a standard of green phones and encourage green phone manufacturers to include the same or more features in green cellphones. Problems So far no such problem of this phone has been recognized. It seems to be a win-win situation for all. 2. Green Phone Concept given a brand new shape by Nokia Nokia’s Green Phone What’s new? This green cellphone concept of Nokia looked similar to a regular phone when it was initially introduced. But thereafter, several changes have been brought to this phone. The phone boasts of not only green components used for its making but also a range of green features. This phone is different because of the materials that are used for its construction which are recycled elements. The casing is made of aluminum (derived from aluminum cans) and plastic (extracted from old car tires and drink bottles). The inside story of the phone is also Eco-friendly as restored parts of old cellphones have been used inside this phone of Nokia. The phone also requires less charging as it comes with a feature of reducing backlight to a minimum level that helps to save battery to a large extent. What difference will it make? This concept seems to be the starting point of using recycled products and old mobile parts for making green phones. This concept phone will not only encourage recycling of various materials like aluminum and plastic but would also help to make good use of scraped mobile parts thus decreasing the toxic affect on the environment and helping it go green. Problems This is only a concept for the time being and would take some time before the phone is introduced in the market. Once the phone comes out for use, then only can we discover the problems of it. 3. NTT Docomo Scrap Wood Cellphone Concept NTT Wood Cell Phone Concept What’s new? This cellphone is the first one to have a casing of wood. This smartphone uses the surplus wood that is derived from a forest thinning project in the area of Kochi in Japan. The phone has been made in collaboration with Sharp, Olympus and the project “more trees” ( the reforestation scheme in Japan). This phone retains the original color and pattern of the wood and does not use any artificial coloring to change them. The phone is also resistant to yeast, bugs and water. What difference will it make? Using natural material without harming the nature or environment in any way is what this phone encourages. The phone does not compromise on the features just because it is built with green material. It would help a lot to decrease use of toxic materials in cell phones and therefore would help to restore environment’s balance. Problems As of now, no problem has been located in this phone that can be mentioned here.
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What’s Next: Eco friendly cellphones made using green materials
Deep Shikha Barot: Ever increasing traffic and air pollution are the primary concerns associated with vehicles these days. A multitude of approaches are suggested every now and then as just the solution one needs. Some concepts are too impractical to be used for real. A few that happen to be tested seriously end up being extremely costly solutions for the people in general to even consider. Even with that price tag these happen to be noisy and do not quite do justice to the costs incurred. Amidst all this the situation continues to deteriorate. iO personal portable urban propulsion proposes a solution that seems to do away with all these issues. iO The structure This vehicle meant for use by one person at a time works on electricity. The base is formed by a circular loop. On either side of this loop, the structure has been extended sideways so as to allow for the rider to stand astride the circular bottom half. The upper portion of the vehicle provides for a mechanism to steer the vehicle. It also serves as the support you can hold on to while you move about. The self balancing nature of this concept vehicle adds to its convenience factor. Its small size makes the navigation as easy as it gets. Picture Gallery iO iO personal portable urban propulsion by Rob Long Advantages This concepts gets appreciation for its simplicity. For a ride to a place in the vicinity, be it the market or an eatery, it comes across as a convenient and non-polluting mode of transport. It is as compact as a bike but runs on electricity. It saves you from an ever increasing fuel bill and helps you reduce your carbon footprint. This needs to be seen as the simplest way for you to contribute towards reducing pollution. The problem of pollution is a nemesis that is acquiring mammoth proportions by the day. Countries are working towards a better approach for the industrial sector to reduce the amount of harmful gases it lets out in the atmosphere. If each individual contributes by using vehicles that work on electricity, that indeed amounts to a lot in real terms. Congestion is a problem with more vehicles taking to the roads each passing day. Perhaps it mirrors the prosperity of the people in a society but its ugly side raises its head in the form of a high vehicular density on the roads. Portable urban propulsion offers people an alternative to escape the traffic jams and to move about with complete freedom. Imagine the ecstasy of traveling knowing very well that howsoever congested the roads be you will surely find your way out. For a single seater, the product is a marvel in its property of being self balancing. This works in its favor considering how difficult it would be to balance such a small vehicle when managing the balance of even the two wheelers turns problematic for people. People can thus freely enjoy their ride in town. This vehicle is likely to appeal to the people who prefer bikes as well as those who drive around in cars. The reduced congestion on roads and the pollution free lifestyle it promises is sure to find takers. Via: Coroflot
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Easy mobility with a vehicle for one
Aravind Balasubramanya: Undoubtedly, there has been a shift in the general consciousness towards using the non-conventional sources of energy. Solar energy comes high on the list of such sources because it is available in infinite quantities. Research is on to make solar panels that are more efficient to save space, cost and to improve energy utilization. Here we present the five most efficient solar panels that are being developed. 1. GE’s (ad)venture into solar energy panels GE most efficient solar panel A 400MW factory with 400 working people and $600m in investments are the resources being plowed by the global giant GE into efforts to manufacture the most efficient solar panel in the world. PrimeStar Solar is partnering with GE in the manufacture of the ultra thin, cadmium telluride (CD-Te) solar cell. GE has made claims that it has already procured orders of almost 60MW worth of solar panels for NextEra Energy and another 20MW worth of it for Invenergy. The new panels have been tested and found to have an aperture area efficiency of 12.8 percent. For Cd-Te films, this is a record-breaking efficiency and and GE naturally plans to make this panel, christened PV, as the major player in the company’s renewable energy strategy. Work is on to make the product more affordable for customers. 2. A big HIT among the solar panels most efficient solar cells in UK The photo-voltaic cells belonging to the Hit series of from SANYO group are touted to be the most efficient ones in the world with a 21.6 percent conversion rate. The best news is that this product is already out in the European markets. It needs a MCS accreditation before it can make an entry into the UK. Having received that, HIT is all ready to hit the markets in UK. This MCS accreditation is useful for the end users since they can now use the solar panels under the Feed In Tariff or FIT scheme which rewards the usage of renewable sources of energy all over Europe. These HIT modules, which will be made available by the end of 2011 are sure to make a great difference. 3. Non-conventional approach towards a non-conventional energy source efficient solar cell beams fluorescent light. Instead of trying to develop and improve a solar panel to absorb more energy, the scientists and researchers at the California based, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, have decided to create a solar cell that gives an increased output or more light! They have done this using the phenomenon of fluorescence. Fluorescent light is not visible under normal conditions tough it consists of photons. It was discovered that when the energy released from the solar left left as fluorescence, the voltage that was obtained was greater. The maximum efficiency that a solar cell could theoretically reach is 33.5 percent and this cell has been almost made to attain that magic figure – 28.4 percent to be precise. The magic is worked by a rare compound, gallium arsenide which finds the correct balance between the amount of light absorbed and the amount of light converted into electricity. This is a neat five percent increase over the most efficient solar cells being commercially sold today. 4. Silicon based solar cell sets new record in Australia Most Efficient Solar Cell in Australia Unity is strength and this dictum is being magnified in the sphere of solar energy generation too. Using a combination of solar cells made from silicon, gallium, phosphorus, indium and arsenic, the scientists at the University of New South Wales have breached the 43 percent barrier in solar cell efficiency. The team had made the most efficient silicon solar cell with an output of 25 percent but they were not satisfied and did not rest on its laurels. The only hitch here is that these cells have only been laboratory tested. The other cells are too costly to be made commercially. All said and done, these cells have definitely brought in hope of efficiently harvesting the energy from the sun. 5. ‘Glow in the Dark’ Solar Cells which break the efficiency records Glow in the Dark Solar Cells The scientists are the Berkeley University seem to be on a creating spree. Working over an improvement, they have now made their fluorescent solar panels get the ability to glow in the dark. The basic techniques and idea remains the same and it consists of utilizing better that captured solar energy. The panels fluoresce, giving off light in the dark. These panels have also been made cost effective by using a reusable template for the gallium arsenide. The greatest challenge remains in reducing cost further for gallium arsenide is almost 10,000 times costlier than silicon.
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Five most efficient solar panels currently under development
Seen as strategic market opportunity, Schneider Electric with Telvent offer smart city applications for critical infrastructure management and efficiency improvements.
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Schneider Electric and Telvent Team Up for Smart Cities
Kamlesh Kandasamy: Increasing traffic congestion and significant rise in the number of vehicles on roads, made the designer, Jennifer Rosetto, to visualize this intelligent vehicle. The designer had expressed an innovative idea to solve the issues regarding traffic congestion, carbon emissions, parking, and maintenance. Nowadays, people have started worrying about the brand of cars they own. In the present scenario, one has to spend a lot of money to own a luxury car. But with the introduction of this concept, everybody will be able to enjoy the benefits of a luxury vehicle without even paying more. The designer hopes that this concept will suit our transportation culture by 2030. BMW ICONOKLAST Inspiration The designer calls this concept as a micro-car owing to its tiny size. However, the concept will serve mankind in every aspect of travel and commuting. While starting with the initial designs, the designer wanted to make a tiny model that possess an amazing architecture. In fact, this concept would look like a moving architecture when introduced on roads. Also, the designer had conceptualized that, this model would drive itself to the user and gets utilized. This concept will definitely make life very much sophisticated and hassle free. Picture Gallery BMW ICONOKLAST Autonomous vehicle that picks up the passenger anywhere around the city Design Like every designer, Jennifer Rosetto created the basic shapes of this concept over the paper. Additionally, the designer used cardboard to build a scale model of the concept, before actually designing it on a computer. The BMW Iconoklast is a three wheeled concept that has a seating capacity for two passengers. The word ‘Iconoklast’ describes the major changes that this concept would implement. The odd thing about the interiors of this concept is its seating position. The two passenger seats are oppositely faced, which means that the passengers will face each other during their travel. This feature not only provides an opportunity for face to face conversation, but also utilizes the interior space brilliantly. Two of the concept’s wheels are found in the front body, while a wider and larger wheel is present in the rear body. This type of wheel selection will provide an optimum stability to the vehicle. The concept will run on hydrogen fuel, which means that only water will be the exhaust emission. And even that water will be stored inside the passenger compartment for drinking. Every wheel has an electric motor. Though there is a seating capacity for two passengers in this concept, it would suit very good for a single passenger drive. By 2030, the introduction of this concept may create a revolution in the auto industries because of its operating feasibility. Similar to a leasing facility, this concept could be booked by anybody who has a membership with the manufacturer. Once the user has finished his work with the car, he could return it to the manufacturer. In fact, the vehicle itself would drive back to the manufacturer’s place, where it would undergo various processes like maintenance, refueling, cleaning, etc. In the future, this concept could even be capable of picking up one’s grocery items, laundry, medical necessities, etc., when much more computerized networks are established. Source: BMW Iconoklast
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Concept for the future: BMW Iconoklast
Although a planned project to put solar on 160,000 military houses was nearly derailed by Solyndra’s collapse, SolarCity and Bank of America Merrill Lynch announced today they will continue with a scaled-down version of the project.
At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda showed its concept EV-STER roadster, a lightweight electric sports car with fast acceleration. Originally posted at The Car Tech blog
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Honda EV-STER takes up where Tesla left off
As the COP17 negotations continue their slow progress at the UN climate summit, the business community is ready to act now, and a new business-focused coalition aims to help companies as well as governments take meaningful action on climate change.
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Businesses Work to Turn Government Rhetoric Into Action at COP17
Toyota and Yamaha show that just like cars, bikes can be electrified, Wi-Fi connected, and shared. Originally posted at The Car Tech blog
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Toyota, Yamaha unveil connected electric trike, e-bike
As spending on renewables comes of age, the sector faces a significant challenge to better manage financial risk, according to a new report by EIU and Swiss Re.
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Despite Boom in Renewables, Risks Could Hurt Further Growth