Making The World Brighter and Greener

Three University of Toronto grads have invented a new light bulb that they call the NanoLight. The attached link to the Toronto Star article, by business reporter Curtis Rush explains how it works and what makes it such a great innovation. But it makes us proud here at OGD that local people are coming up with big green ideas. I hope it’s a huge success because nano technology is one of the new frontiers out there and the more positive attention that gets focused on it, the more innovations will flow.Check out the article and check back with this blog for news on other great great  innovations.

http://www.thestar.com/business/2013/02/01/toronto_grads_invent_worlds_most_energyefficient_light_bulb.html

A Cool Greenhouse For Your Balcony or Deck from Gardenista.

A lot of people think that just because they live in an apartment that there’s not much they can do to make their personal space a little greener. Well here’s a really cool idea, especially for those of you who like to grow things.

This idea comes from a company called Gardenista, and not only is it a very good looking little greenhouse, it’s also one that has some cool ‘green’ features that you might find interesting.

This unit is very compact, made from high quality materials and is designed in a very practical way. It’s also quite attractive and would make a welcome addition to any size balcony or deck.

This link will take you to an article about it.
http://gardenista.com/posts/a-green-vitrine-for-your-balcony?utm_source=disqus&utm_medium=cpc_paidlinks&utm_campaign=scotts

Don’t forget to visit our Eco Specialty Store section to find the perfect green gift for everybody on your list.

http://ourgreendirectory.com/nc/cs/listings-of-environmental-consulting-services-environmental-institute-organizations-directory/profile/eco-specialty-stores.html

Taiwan’s Eco Arc — Green Architecture In Action

TAIWAN’S ECO ARC MAKES A STUNNING STATEMENT ABOUT RECYCLING IN TODAY’S WORLD.

Arthur Huang. Young, smart, and committed to building a better world.

While we tend to think of the Chinese culture as something very old and traditional, the young Chinese architects of Taiwan are anything but. Recently one of these young architects, Arthur Huang, was profiled on an episode of the Megastructures on the National Geographic Channel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Huang

His idea was to build the world’s lightest eco friendly building, mainly of something called polli-bricks, injection moulded bottles made entirely of recycled plastic drink containers. The commission, for the Far Eastern Group, was to build a completely sustainable and completely deconstructable building that would initially be used as a pavilion for the 2010 Taipei International Expo. The Building would then be taken down and reconstructed in various locations around the world and would serve as a shining example of sustainability and recycling, not to mention Chinese architectural innovation.

Impressive Specs

The ECOArks walls, painstakingly assembled from injection moulded recycled drink bottles.

The 130 metre long and 26 metre high building itself is a true architectural wonder. Nicknamed the EcoARK and composed of 1.5 million polli-bricks, bonded together, by a small amount of silicon into 3 metre square panels, the building was engineered to withstand large earthquakes and typhoons. It is also designed to be self -heating and cooling, using the power of both the sun and the wind in innovative ways.

The pavilion includes an amphitheatre, museum space and a screen of falling water collected during rainy periods for air conditioning. The clear plastic containers in the wall allow natural light to flood the cavernous interior.

Douglas Hsu, Chairman of the Far Eastern Group is quoted as saying ,“EcoARK is the world’s lightest, movable, breathable environmental miracle,”

Today’s Technology Builds A Modern Classic 

The story of the design and construction of this unique building is an incredible example of how, with today’s technology, recycling can play a major role in building and home construction. And the raw materials available to anyone wishing to build with them are abundantly available from the recyclable plastics, wood and metals that are all around us.

To view a series of videos on EcoARK
http://natgeotv.com/ca/megastructures-eco-ark/videos/construction

Livclean Homes Services. Dragging Me Into A Greener Home Environment.

By Jim Murray, Creative Director, Our Green Directory.

Part One—The Offer

Yesterday, a rep from LivClean Home Services knocked on my door and asked me if he could inspect my water heater to see if I qualified for a free replacement water heater that would be more energy efficient. Being a green guy, I couldn’t really turn him down. After inspecting my antique water heater, which was 16 years old, he informed me that I might have a couple of feet of calcified sludge in the bottom a that would impact on the amount of water the tank could hold and how long it takes to heat the water itself. He went on to explain the features of the new water heater and how much more efficient it would be…even that I could drain the sediment periodically to keep it running at almost 100% capacity.

It all made sense to me so I signed up to have my water heater rental transferred from Enbridge and have my water heater replaced at no charge by these guys. I have an installation appointment for tomorrow morning.

I did check them out and they seem to be a legitimate organization. I can’t see how they might be scamming me if they are, because $16.95 a month is hardly worth the effort. And they are carrying the Energy Star logo on all their materials.

I believe that the cost of the new water heaters plus a profit margin is being subsidized by some government program and that would be how they are making their money. They apparently also do a range of different home products. If this goes well I might talk to them about replacing my boiler.

But the proof, as they say, is in the pudding, so I’ll finish this post after they have come and gone and let you know what my total experience was like.

Part 2  – The Installation

OK so the first thing that happened was that on Thursday, they called and asked if they could reschedule the morning appointment for the afternoon. That was fine. They did not call first like they said they were going to but who really does these days.

The installers showed up more or less on time and got set up with a minimum of disruption. I do wish they had worn those little plastic booties that most industrial people wear when they are working in other people’s houses. But they were pretty careful. I did have to stand outside and make sure that the runoff from the old water heater, which they pumped out a basement window, didn’t come right back in, which has been known to happen. This helped raise my respect quotient for people who work outside.

The installation went very smoothly. There were only a few very simple instructions re adjusting the heat levels and they were in and out in about an hour and, voila, I had a new water heater, and a more energy efficient way to do one more thing around the house.

All in all it was a very good experience. The product was great. The price (0$) was right and the installers were friendly, outgoing and capable.

Part 3 The Link

LivClean Home Services
1-866-755-9553
www.livcleanhomeservices.ca

Skipso — Powering The Clean Revoluton

I was looking up some information on a client I may be doing a new web site for and found that one of the places they were listed was a site called skipso.com. This site is an excellent receptacle for a lot of things green. This site can help green businesses with access to information, investment assistance and promotion to a global marketplace.

Here’s what they say about themselves:

Skipso is an online platform and business to business marketplace entirely focused on sustainable innovation. 

Skipso leverages the power of the Internet to accelerate the Cleantech Revolution.

In particular, Skipso aims to:

• Accelerate innovation in clean technologies by creating an environment where ideas, best practices and opportunities can be exchanged
• Bridge the gap between industry and research institutions / academia by creating an alternative platform for collaboration and knowledge transfer
• Facilitate interaction and collaboration of talented individuals and experts worldwide, providing them with new professional opportunities and challenging projects to work on
• Support cleantech companies investing in innovation by giving them access to an expert community to outsource their R&D or sponsor cleantech innovation research
• Help entrepreneurs and innovators kick-start their projects by gaining easier access to capital & support services

Nano Spray On Technology – Making The Skies A Little Friendlier

This article was written by a Facebook friend named Alex Tury. I thought it was interesting. I’m sure there’s a lot of this type of development going on in the world these days and this is quite encouraging. People are thinking all the time and this is what’s going to change our world for the better.

A Solar Powered Electric Aircraft, Nanosolar Spray-on Technology.

Our research group has invented a very unique nanosolar paint, which can convert visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, x-rays, gamma-rays, and any magnetic fields or electromagnetic fields into electric power. This nanosolar material is eight* times more efficient than regular solar cell technology. It can harvest energy on a cloudy day or even at night time.

The nanosolar material looks like a very special plastic and can be sprayed on any surface like a regular paint. The surface of an electric aircraft painted with this nanosolar material can collect enough energy to charge its batteries. Moreover, this nanosolar material allows the aircraft to absorb electromagnetic static from the airflow and convert it into reusable energy.

Thus, the aircraft power is generated from two sources: the solar source from a very wide range of solar light and the static one. In addition, our research group has invented a unique power saver. Installing the power saver means having at your disposal approximately twice the amount of the energy supplied by the sun and the wind combined. It acts as a catalyst to double the power generation in the embedded solar cell via a highly efficient electric motor.

This solar powered electric aircraft does not require any extra fuel to keep it flying. Because of its unique nanosolar spray-on technology, the aircraft batteries would completely self-charge. Velocity SE. Summary of the project: 1. A very unique nanosolar technology – the paint, which converts visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, x-rays, gamma-rays, and any magnetic fields or electromagnetic fields into electric power; 2. a very unique electric circuit (scheme) – the design of wiring and radio details of the power saver, which extends distance on one charge more than two and a half times; 3. a very unique power pack (energy storage) – LiFePO4 polymer batteries integrated with the power saver; 4. a very unique electric motors – capability to use DC and AC in the same time that makes the motor extremely powerful and easy to control (to operate).

This is my project. I am looking for friends, business partners, sponsors and investors for the building of a solar powered electric aircraft. If someone interested to be in this solar team, please, send me a message. A half of the job already done. Any help will be appreciated. http://www.facebook.com/notes/alex-tury/to-investors-a-solar-powered-electric-aircraft-project/256669611034165 This is the future!!! I love this project very much. It will change the World to the right way.

For more info on this type of technology, check this out:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=33230

Guest Blog – Peel Scrap Metal Recycling

Peel Scrap Metal Recycling is one of the friends of Our Green Directory, and a client of ours as well. They have a very good blog on their site (see link below), and know a lot about the recycling of both ferrous and non-ferrous metal. But they also are keenly aware of the importance of recycling as a ‘green’ function.

This is one of of their recent blog posts about an innovation that, if it turns into a reality could have a major impact on the solar energy field.

Solar Roadways — The Biggest Green Idea Yet.
by Jeff Shaffer, Peel Scrap Metal Recycling

One of the more interesting aspects of being part of the green revolution is that you are exposed to new ideas and recycling technologies on a constant basis. Recently we came across something which really caught our attention.

The Solar Roadways Project

Scott Brusaw of Sagle Idaho is an electrical engineer whose company, Solar Roadways, wants to build solar panels that will replace the asphalt that constitutes most roadways, driveways, parking lots and even the paved areas we play on in playgrounds.

On only four hours sunlight per day, Mr. Brusaw estimates that 428 homes could go off the grid for every mile of four lane solar roadway.

This idea is as simple as they come. But like all truly revolutionary ideas, it is pure genius.

Mr. Bursaw’s vision: “Our long range goal is to cover all concrete and asphalt surfaces that are exposed to the sun with Solar Road Panels. This will lead to the end of our dependency on fossil fuels of any kind.”

With LEDs, load cells and other electronics embedded in the panels, the possibilities are endless. Safer nighttime driving will be possible as the highways are illuminated. The roadways can be programmed for traffic management with warnings for drivers and pedestrians. Heating elements can be built in to prevent snow and ice build-up. These roadways can also be constructed with self-healing power grids, a practical system for electric cars and so on.

The Recycling Industry Plays a Big Part

Implementation of the Solar Roadways system will create one of the largest green industries of all time. It will also dramatically affect the recycling industry as the Solar Roadway system is designed to incorporate  recycled materials for its internal support structure.

All of this on roadways that will pay for themselves over time, replace our reliance on oil and coal, help deal with the problem of global warming in a substantial way and provide health and economic benefits to boot. It’s a win win situation.

More Than Just A Pipe Dream

As the green revolution continues to grow, we see a lot of very good ideas come and go. But the SolarRoadways project seems to have some real traction. And why not. There is really no downside to it and for the most part, the technology is already available.

A prototype of the Solar Roadway has been developed with a grant from the US Department of Transportation. While there are clearly aspects of this that need critical evaluation, we think it is a truly awesome idea.

More information on the Solar Roadway project can be found at:

http://www.solarroadways.com

http://dissociatedpress.com/2010/09/what-if-americas-highways-were-one-big-solar-panel

Or you can watch the  video on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep4L18zOEYI&feature=player_embedded

http://www.peelscrapmetalrecycling.com
http://www.scrapwire.ca

Toronto Green Tweets- Commons Sense Tweets

Our Green Directory follows almost 2000 green organizations on Twitter. The vast majority of them are in the US, and so a lot of the information and insight they have to offer is relevant primarily to Americans.  But there are several notable Canadian organizations and twitter sites that tweet out good stuff on a regular basis. Over the next few posts I will highlight some of them and provide you with links to their twitter pages and or web sites. Because you can never really have too much green knowledge.

This first one is called Green Tweets TO and it contains a number of really practical tips for living a more eco-friendly, energy conscious lifestyle. It also does a really good job of promoting other green tweeters through Follow Fridays and Eco Mondays.

There is no web site listed, so I can’t really tell you who sponsors the tweets. But there’s a lot of good info here as well as links to good articles. If you’re a tweeter, you might want to follow these people. If you’re not a tweeter (and I really don’t know anyone who isn’t), you may want to get started. It’s not just a way of keeping in touch with your friends. It’s a great way to keep in touch with the world.

Green Tweets TO link:  http://twitter.com/#!/TO_GreenTweets

Electric Cars: The More You Know The More You May Want to Plug In

Slowly but surely green technology is finding its way into place where it could never go. With the cast iron grip of the oil companies loosening as fossil fuel supplies dry up, energy saving ideas such as electric cars seem to be gaining acceptance at a much faster rate than ever before.

In this fine article on the Mother Earth News Blog, you can find out a lot of good info and who knows…you may even find yourself humming along  sooner than you think.

http://tinyurl.com/4oyqta2

It’s Called Blowing Where The Wind Is

If you believe that a big part of our sustainable future lies in harnessing the power of the wind, you’re not alone.  In fact, just recently, a company called Deepwater Wind Energy has made a very interesting proposal to the US government.

Personally, I don’t think you can ever get enough wind power. And this one will be the largest renewable energy project ever proposed for the North East US.

http://www.earthtechling.com/2010/12/giant-offshore-wind-proposal-in-atlantic/

Thanks Earth Techling for the story.

http://www.earthtechling.com