LED Lighting Grows into Agricultural and Horticultural Sectors
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| LumiGrow LED Grow Lights |
This white paper from LumiGrow, Inc., a LED lighting solutions provider, outlines the benefits of using LED lighting for horticultural and agricultural industries.
When it comes to growing plants, LEDs are steadily gaining ground in this new market segment. Compared to widely-accepted types of grow lights like high pressure sodium, metal halide and fluorescent lamps, LEDs dramatically reduce the energy costs for farmers, growers and horticulturalists. Some studies even show that plants respond more favorably to high-quality LED lighting products.
According to a February 2010 DOE report, the projected energy savings from 2010-2030 as a result of LED lighting systems is estimated to total 1,488 terawatt-hours, representing $120 billion at today’s energy prices. With the widespread adoption of LEDs into general lighting applications, these savings would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 246 million metric tons of carbon.
Here’s an excerpt from “Selecting LED Lighting for Horticultural Applications” that talks about why LED’s are so well suited for growing plants.
By using LED technology, we can turn electricity into light tailored specifically for plants with no waste heat. LEDs can dramatically improve the efficiency and quality of horticultural lighting by customizing the output spectrum to where plants can use it most. Because LEDs run cool, we can create productive small grow chambers or reduce heating costs in large ones. And, because we can control a mix of different LED colors, we can even mimic the natural seasons by changing the light output spectrum over time.
It’s no surprise that in the $100 billion lighting industry, LEDs are the fastest growing segment, projected to reach $8.2 billion in 2010 and $20.2 billion by 2014.
CEC Approves California TV Standards
In a unanimous 5-0 vote, the California Energy Commission (CEC) recently approved the nation’s first energy efficiency standards for televisions. The standards will be implemented in 2011 and will make new TVs sold in California the most energy efficient TVs in the nation.
After ten years, the Commission expects the regulations to save $8.1 billion in energy costs and save enough to power 864,000 single-family homes. Pacific Gas & Electric estimates that the standards will cut CO2 emissions by 3 million tons over a decade.
“The real winners of these new TV energy efficiencies are California consumers who will be saving billions of dollars and conserving energy while preserving their choice to buy any size or type of TV. Californians buy four million televisions each year and they deserve the most energy efficient models available,” said Energy Commission Chairman Karen Douglas.
The standards mandate that new TVs must consume 33% less electricity by 2011 and 49% less by 2013, but will only affect TVs with screens 58 inches or smaller. For example, a 42-inch screen would consume 183 watts or less by 2011 and 115 watts or less by 2013. Stores will not be prohibited from selling existing stock of older televisions after the standards go into effect.
Water Energy Connection
Letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours.
(Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense)
Coolerado Air Conditioner Tests 80% More Efficient than Standard Units
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Image: Coolerado
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Recent innovations in air conditioning technology could save customers over 50 percent on their cooling bills. Air conditioner manufacturer Coolerado recently won the Western Cooling Challenge, sponsored by UC Davis, with a unit designed specially for the hot, arid environments of the western U.S. While most air conditioners are actually designed for muggy climates of the East Coast, the Coolerado H-80 system uses a form of indirect evaporative cooling which humidifies outside air and then de-humidifies it through a series of plastic plates.
The innovation could prove to be a major tool in combating climate change in California, where air conditioning typically accounts for 30% of peak summer demand. According to Mark Modera, director of the UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center, “…the Coolerado H-80 tests indicate almost 80 percent energy-use savings and over 60 percent peak-demand reduction.”
The H-80 was designed principally for light commercial buildings but Coolerado also offers models suitable for homes and other buildings, each with an EER (energy-efficiency ratio) of 40 or more.
Cool Roofs: Former Military Scientist Designs New Reflective Paint
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Cool roofs can help cut air conditioning bills by up to 50%. (Photo: Department of Energy)
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Cool roofs are getting a lot of attention these days, and rightly so. Not only do they have the potential to cut a building’s air conditioning bills by up to 50% by reflecting light and reducing heat gain, but they can also fight global warming directly by reflecting heat back out into space. In a recent address at a conference in London, Energy Secretary Steven Chu praised the technology, saying that whitening the world’s roofs and roads would have the same effect on global warming as removing all the world’s cars for 11 years.
Now, cool roof technology has taken another step forward with a new paint designed by Colonel Ronald R. Savin, an 82-year-old former military scientist from the Inland Empire, and owner of Hyperseal, Inc. Likened to a Rice Krispies treat, the paint’s Hyperglass topcoat is filled with tiny glass “microspheres” - the same hollow balls that are used to lighten airplanes and bowling balls. The microspheres are suspended in a reflective paint and help to deflect heat, while a waterproof undercoat made of recycled rubber helps prevent water damage and erosion. Hyperseal paints are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the undercoat even has the added benefit of providing a use for the millions of tires that are discarded each year in the U.S.
Savin’s paint is already reflecting rays atop the Anaheim Hilton, which spent $150,000 to coat their roof. According to the director of property operations at the Hilton, the project cost $300,000 less than the cost of a conventional repair to the leaky roof, and those savings will be only be augmented by reduced cooling loads summer after summer. Another customer, resident David Baron of Rancho Mirage, credits Hyperseal paint with cutting his $2,500-a-month summer electricity bill by more than half.
Cool roofs are not ideal for everyone as they can increase heating loads in the winter, but for homes and businesses in hot, sunny climates, the technology may be nothing short of a very bright idea.
Clean Tech Open Announces California Semifinalists
California’s Clean Tech Open recently announced its 2009 Semifinalists, including eight finalists in the Energy Efficiency category. The competition, which is held in three regions throughout the west, works to catalyze innovation by seeking out early-stage clean technology companies, and providing infrastructure and funding to promising entrepreneurs. Semifinalists attend the Clean Tech Open Accelerator world class business training program, followed by two moths of intensive mentoring. Semifinalists are chosen in each of several categories. This year’s Energy Efficiency Semifinalists include:
- Alphabet Energy, Inc. - Inexpensive thermoelectrics for waste heat recovery
- Core4 Systems - Efficient data center cooling
- HydroCoal Technologies, LLC - Cracking coal for cleaner coal sooner
- Lightwave - Low cost highly efficient light emitting diodes
- Lunescent - Outdoor lights responsive to moonlight
- Powerzoa - Energy monitoring and controlling technology
- SunCool - Commercial solar heating and cooling
- Synergy Conscious - Energy management system via double bottom line electric bill
Winners selected from among the Semifinalists will take home generous prizes including cash/services worth at least $50,000 for 12 Regional Winners and $250,000 for one National Winner. It’s money well-spent, driving innovation that may one day help us all.
New “Fastronaut” Toys and Piggy Bank Power Meter Teach Kids About Efficiency
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Fastronaut action figures powered by kinetic energy.
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They may not save millions of megawatts, but these recently-developed toys from the Greener Gadgets Design Competition do promise to help teach kids about energy. The first is a set of action figures dubbed Fastronauts. Each of the three little super heroes is charged by kinetic energy, and will talk, light up and zoom around in its vehicle the more it is charged - one even attaches to a bike and is charged by the motion of the wheel. The toys also feature tri-color LEDs that show how much energy has been generated, and they are made with a recyclable casing. Designed to teach children about energy conservation while encouraging them to move and play, Fastronauts offer a unique alternative to the usual battery-powered energy hogs.
Did someone say energy hogs? The other kids’ item on our list is the Power Hog power meter, a piggy-bank shaped appliance designed to teach kids about energy conservation, and keep kids off the TV for a while. Another finalist in the competition, the hog works by blocking energy to an appliance until it has been fed a coin. Simply plug the hog’s tail into an outlet and feed it a coin to meter out 30 minutes of energy for TV, video games, or other activities. Of course, kids may eventually figure out that they can simply unplug the piggy to avoid the toll, but the power hog remains a novel way to associate energy conservation with savings, and to start kids thinking on a resource-intelligent track.
Consumer Electronics: Efficiency Versus Conservation
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| If you bought it on sale, did you really save money? (Photo: Flickr) |
The other day I came home with a new pair of jeans I bought at a clearance sale and I told my husband, “I saved 50% on these.” His reply? “If you keep saving us money, we’re going to go broke!” This familiar exchange is an apt metaphor for the world of consumer electronics as it applies to energy efficiency and the fight against global warming.
The American Efficiency Council claims that semiconductor-based technologies have improved efficiency throughout the economy, helping to
“avoid” the need for 184 power plants since 1976, “saving” consumers and businesses $69 billion on their electricity bills (through 2006) and preventing 479 million megatons of CO2-equivalent emissions. While these numbers are impressive and true in one sense, they don’t tell the larger story of the crescendo of consumer electronics flooding our culture with non-essential energy-consuming devices. Does every household in America (including mine) really need multiple iPods, cordless phones, televisions, cell phones, printers, stereo systems, laptops, digital cameras and more? According to the International Energy Agency, the intensifying acquisition of such devices means that when aggregated, these gadgets are expected to demand twice as much power by 2022 and three times as much by 2030 - creating a need for another 280 gigawatts of power generation. This is roughly equivalent to adding another Japan to the world or more than 230 nuclear power plants.
The phenomenon of gaining efficiencies while continuing to increase energy demand makes sense. People who buy a Prius often cite its efficiency as a justification for then driving more frequently and longer distances. However, if we continue our push towards greater efficiency, but don’t temper it with conservation efforts, we may “save some energy” on that sale called efficiency gains, but in the long run our climate will go broke.
Solar Power for Your Laptop… and Your Body
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Solar-powered netbooks
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It’s the ultimate portable computer – iUnika’s new $180 solar-powered netbook, the Gyy. Featuring solar panels mounted on the back of the display, the tiny, 1.5 pound laptop is designed for computing on-the-go. Its 8-inch screen and minimal processing and RAM capabilities keep the price low, while sustainable components set it apart. The computer body itself is composed of bioplastics and biodegradable materials made from starch and cellulose, making the unit easy to recycle. The Gyy is particularly ideal for developing countries that lack grid power, and it is scheduled to be on store shelves in June or July.
In addition to powering your laptop, the sun can now also power your small gadgets with Suntrica’s SolarBadge and SolarStrap – pocket-sized chargers that strap to your body or to a backpack. Covered in flexible thin film solar panels, the chargers have a service voltage of 5 V, making them handy for charging phones, GPS systems, media players, and other small devices. Customers can either use the energy immediately, or employ the internal battery to store energy for a later date. Although Suntrica’s devices are not the first portable solar power chargers, their durability and versatility make them ideal for everyday use.
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The SolarStrap and SolarBadge from Suntrica |
New “Fastronaut” Toys Powered by Play
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| Fastronaut action figures powered by kinetic energy. |
They may not save millions of megawatts, but these recently-developed toys from the Greener Gadgets Design Competition do promise to help teach kids about energy. Dubbed Fastronauts, the three little super heroes are charged using kinetic energy and will talk, light up and zoom around in their vehicles the more they are charged - one even attaches to a bike and is charged by the motion of the wheel. The toys also feature tri-color LEDs that show how much energy has been generated, and they are made with a recyclable casing. Designed to teach children about energy conservation while encouraging them to move and play, Fastronauts offer a unique alternative to the usual battery-powered energy hogs.
