Cooler Planet

Summer is almost here.  The longer days and, hopefully, sunny weather makes it a good time to test some of the solar gadgets out there.  All you bikers (bicycle or motor), runners, and beach-goers might want to try the HYmini or miniSOLAR panel.  These devices use the wind or sun to charge your cell phone and other handheld products.  So while you’re biking, you can capture the wind; or capture the sun while you lie on the beach and keep your Nintendo DX or iPod working all day long. 

Could we someday have a fabric that could power our cell phones and MP3 players?  Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology hope so.  Yong Qin, Xudong Wang and Zhong Lin Wang are developing a fabric embedded with piezoelectric zinc oxide nanowires to create a nanogenerator within our clothes.  These minute generators could create electricity from our own body movements. 

Their article, published in the February 13 edition of the journal Nature, describes how by coating half of the zinc oxide wires with gold the fabric’s embedded wires can then convert physical movement into electricity.  Evidently, the gold plating enables the microscopic wires to act as an electrode so that when the “charged” wires contact the non-gold plated wire an electric current can run through the fabric.  Their research has also demonstrated that the microscopic wires must be arranged similar to a bottle-brush as opposed to another type of alignment. 

All is not perfect, however.  Though the scientists have added a polymer layer to prevent the zinc oxide from wearing away, the research team must still figure out how prevent the zinc oxide from degrading when wet.  It wouldn’t do to power your cell phone in clothes that cannot be laundered. 

The Energy Star label identifies products that deliver comparable or superior performance but save a whole lot of energy.  A government and industry partnership between the EPA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and numerous private industries, Energy Star has become a respected label to help consumers identify high efficiency products.  Today, Energy Star encompasses more than 50 different types of products including heating and cooling systems, appliances, office equipment, consumer electronics, and lighting.  Products with an Energy Star logo meet energy efficiency criteria set by the EPA and the Department of Energy. 

The Energy Star website provides a dearth of information about how products are selected.  You can also download a comprehensive list of current products that meet and exceed Energy Star criteria at www.energystar.gov.

Take computers, for example.  In June 2007, Energy Star strengthened its energy-efficiency requirements for computers.  Recognizing that computers are used for more hours throughout a day than ever before, qualifying computers must meet energy use thresholds in each of three operating modes:  while in use, in standby, and when in sleep.  As a result, Energy Star rated computers use 70 percent less electricity than models that lack these power management features. 

Here are a couple of last minute gift ideas for anyone who likes to travel or spend time outdoors.  SteriPEN, a lightweight and portable water purifier, has introduced a solar powered charging case to recharge the pen’s batteries.  The “pen” uses ultraviolet light to kill waterborne microbes and create safe drinking water.  www.hydro-photon.com

If purified water isn’t your need, perhaps you’d be interested in combining water and light in another way.  SolLight has created the LightCap, an all-in-one solar powered light and water bottle.  It’s always helpful when you’re traveling to have items that can serve more than one purpose.  Nice to know some of those nifty gadgets exist.     www.sollight.com 

Need another gift idea? A solar backpack or messenger bag might do the trick. Not only can you carry your stuff, but also charge your cell phone, camera, or MP3 player on the go. Voltaic Systems makes bags that include three, waterproof and tough solar photovoltaic panels embedded on the lid of the bag which can capture 4-watts of power from the sun. That should keep your portable device charged. Voltaic Systems products include a battery pack to store any excess energy your bag’s panel may generate.

Eclipse Solar Gear also offers a selection of solar-charging bags for our active lifestyles. In addition to backpacks, Eclipse offers messenger bags, bicycle paniers, fish tackle bags, and soft coolers. Juice Bags by Reware are another cool option. Juice Bags come in a variety of messenger bag and backpack styles. These bags trickle-charge your gear via a cigarette lighter adapter. All the products are weather-resistant and capture the sun’s rays even on cloudy days.

May as well try to keep the planet cool no matter where you go or what you do. . .

Multiple portable chargers exist that can charge your AA or AAA batteries.  You can also charge your cell phone or MP3 player by the sun.  The chargers range in price from $40 to $100+ and are readily available in stores such as REI, EMS, and Target.  Manufacturers include Brunton, Solio, and iSol, 

What a cool way to keep your small electronics and batteries working whether on a hike, hanging on the beach, or traveling to a distant land!

Sometimes our energy use seems so insidious and almost like a diet; it’s hard to shave down calories (or power). Yet as is true with dieting, getting feedback is the key to staying with it. Gyms now offer high tech scales that not only tell you your weight, but also you body mass index and percent fat. High tech devices now exist to measure your home energy use as well, that don’t include electrician fees (or gym fees for that matter).

Electric usage meters plug into your wall socket and provide instant feedback about your kilowatt use for specific appliances. Though the meters vary in what data they provide, most will give you all the data you need to figure out your energy use throughout your home At a minimum, the meters instantly display real-time kilowatt use so you can calculate your actual electrical expense by the hour, day, week, or even a year for any device you plug in.

Knowing your kilowatt hour use and voltage means that you can forecast your energy consumption and figure out ways to kill some watts. For example, you can use the meter to assess how different appliances or types of light bulbs compare or figure out when you should replace an old appliance with a new one.

Who knows, you may decide to replace that old power sucking TV with the new one you’ve been eyeing and have it pay for itself in reduced electricity use. That’s because many newer electronics have improved efficiency. You can prioritize appliances you may want to replace, identify systems to reconfigure, and figure out the best solar photovoltaic or solar hot water system to augment your power needs. Watt else do you need?

Several electric usage meters developed for the residential market watch your watts. Check out the Kill-A-Watt or Watt’s Up meters. For photos of what a Kill-A-Watt actually looks like and to read a testimonial from someone who tested the monitor, follow this link:

http://the-gadgeteer.com/review/kill_a_watt_ez_electricity_usage_monitor

It’s not as strange a question as you might think.  Vampires suck blood and rob energy from their host.  That’s what plug-in electronics do in your home.  All the cell phones, laptops, music players, and power tool chargers we have use energy when they are plugged into an electrical socket even if they’re not recharging anything.  That’s true of other electronics as well, such as your television and DVD player for their standby capability, or appliances with digital clock or radio displays like your microwave or coffee maker – any appliance that has an ongoing electrical need.

According to ENERGY STAR, in an office building all those devices can account for 60-80% of a building’s energy use.  In your home, your plugged in electronics contribute to larger than necessary electricity bills.

It’s not just a forum for stripped down music MTV Unplugged style, it’s removing the energy vampires when they’re not in use from the system.  Consolidate all of your recharging devises onto one power strip, that way you can flick one switch when you want to turn them all off.

Similarly, seek out televisions and other electronic equipment that draw the least amount for standby power.  You can usually find out the number by checking the label on the back of the product.  There’s no point in wasting energy, especially since we all want a cooler planet.