With the ever increasing prices of heating oil and natural gas some people are starting to look into the feasibility of geothermal heating to heat their homes. In the US this technology isn’t as advanced and popular as in Iceland or parts of Europe but as energy prices go through the roof maybe its time we start thinking about what’s under the basement.

Once you start to get below 6 feet in the ground the temperature —stays between 50˚F and 60˚F year round so it is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter in most areas. The basics of Geothermal heating and cooling is very simple; just circulate fluids through the ground to cool the fluids and then that cool fluid will then cool the air that circulates through your house via some type of ducts. The same principal is used for heating in the winter, the fluids and then the air is warmed in a similar manner. However, the heat generated is often not as warm as what most people prefer so a compressor is used that increases the temperature somewhat. Here is an excellent link, The Case for Geothermal, that goes into this explanation in far greater detail.

Here is a European based site, Geothermie.net which has some good information on how you might or might not be able to use it for your home.

However, in many parts of the US, like New England, the cost is steep upfront, like up to 15-30 Grand. However, overtime it may be cost effective and certainly will add to your home value.

Here is a link to the Geocomfort site that can get you hooked up with even more info as well as a local dealer.

Venture Vehicles has in development what appears to be a fantastically green and cool new mode of transport. You can now pre-register for the VentureOne’s e50 and Q100 hybrids or the Venture EV (all electric)
The hybrids have a 300+ mile range and can get up to 100 miles per gallon with a top speed of over 100mph. It is a 3 wheeled vehicle that is fully enclosed with state of the art steel safety features and includes airbags and side impact beams, making it much safer than a motorcycle.

This mini-cooper sized vehicle seats two with sleek wrap around windows. The videos on their flytheroad.com website make this trike looks a blast to drive, the front “cab” driving area is able to lean up to 45 degrees on turns while leaving the engine area horizontal. The videos on the VentureOne website shows this very well.

The planned price tag of $23,000 for the EV model and 18K for the hybrid might be a bit steep for such a small “car” but your savings on gas and the good karma you’ll have by not adding to greenhouse gas pollution makes it a serious temptation. They plan to release this in late 2008.

Forever Flashlights $24.99 at ThinkGeek.com

If you can handle shaking this flashlight for about 30 seconds then you can get up to 5 minutes of light. As you shake the flashlight, a magnet runs over a metal coil which then generates electricity. If you need to use it for longer it can be shaken for 10-15 seconds every 2 or 3 minutes. For optimal usage, try persuading someone else to do the shaking for you!

This waterproof flashlight uses no batteries or bulbs. It does use a bright LED visible up to a mile and lasts for thousands of hours. In fact, their website states it doesn’t burn-out like a typical light bulb - it should never need replacement.

Solar Two, an “older’ concentrated solar power plant in the Mohave Desert - (replaced by newer technology)

In yesterday’s post I revealed how little I knew about concentrated solar power. In fact I had never heard of it before saw the video clip posted yesterday. Presumably there are more people out there who are like me and are curious about this technology. This wiki link is a comprehensive look at solar thermal energy.

What baffles me is why hasn’t there been more attention to this proven source of renewable, clean energy? Why when we think of solar power don’t we think of solar power plants just as much as we think of panels of photovoltaic cells on rooftops? Concentrated solar power can involve a huge array of hundreds or thousands of mirrors that concentrate the solar rays reflected by mirrors to heat molten salt to 565°C (1050°F). The salt then boils water which drives a steam turbine to generate electricity. There are other ways to do this as well.

Wired has a good article about the huge Solar Plants in the desert. Currrently, there are at least nine solar power plants in the Mojave Desert known as the Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS). It uses parabolic trough solar thermal technology along with natural gas to generate electricity. The facility has a total of 400,000 mirrors and covers 1,000 acres. These plants produce 354 MegaWatts, making the system the largest solar plant of any kind in the world.

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Solar thermal power generator tower in Seville, Spain

Europe is leading the way by putting online the first commercial solar power station which generates 11 Megawatts of electricity free of any greenhouse gas emission. It currently can power up to 6,000 homes. The video states that plans are being discussed to make an gigantic array of millions of these special mirrors in the Sahara, possibly enough to provide a significant source of power for all of Europe. More info in this BBC article.

I hope someone in the United States is paying attention! Imagine a similar arrangement in the Southwest desert.

BoGo Solar Flashlight $25.00 - (gets you one for yourself and one for donation) bogolight.com

The New York Times this morning has a good article about a company, bogolight.com that makes a solar flashlight. That isn’t very newsworthy in itself, but the interesting thing is that the acronym for their name “Bogo” means “Buy one, Give one”. What they are doing is for each solar powered flashlight you buy at $25.00 they give another one to various charities working in developing countries. This is very helpful in remote areas, refugee camps and similar place where there tends to be little light available after the sun sets. These flashlights can help children to study and read, help make women a little safer, and reduce the need for using kerosene or other fires for lighting. Regular flashlights in the developing world often tend to be crappier, don’t last long and require expensive batteries which also don’t last long.

Their website states the solar panel on the BoGo lasts up to 20 years, charges in 8 hours, and provides 4-5 hours of illumination. The solar panel provides power to 3 standard NiCad or NiMH AA rechargeable batteries. It also uses the super bright Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) - 6 super bright LEDs provide enough light to read at night. (from the bogo website)

Amazing what a little ingenuity can come up with… imagine what would happen if a whole lot of ingenuity, like a few hundred billion dollars worth, were applied to the problem of getting renewable, clean, and cheap energy to power our transportation.

On the other hand, here is an example of a somewhat questionable use of ingenuity - despite it looking like it would be a pretty cool ride. The people at armchaircruisers.com who have built and are selling gas-powered, motorized, arm-chair recliner mobiles, some come with built in coolers for beer and chips… I wonder if they make an extra-wide model? I am having a hard time with the question if these were solar powered, would it make them any better? They have videos that show their chairs in action.

Solar Powered Bikini

Almost everyone these days are trying to find a green angle to promote their product, company or persona. Many businesses who are using green marketing are clearly more concerned about how they can profit from this green angle than promoting serious environmentalist issues. However, if it starts getting more people thinking about ecological concerns and less about American Idol or some such thing, then perhaps some will evolve to a more serious commitment than just being fashionably green for a few months. Real change to slow global warming can happen only when the politicians feel the political pressure. That pressure can only come if the majority of people starts to get involved and informed.

If we really want to halt Global Warming and reduce our carbon output by 50% or even 80% over the next 30 years or so people will have to undergo a mind boggling radical transformation in the way we all live. What we eat, how we drive, where we work, how we live, virtually nothing will be immune from needing a radical reconsidering. The profit motive is just one way among many we can start to get people thinking about how we might change our lifestyles. A solar bikini seems vacuous at first glance but what if the hot babe wearing this inspires some guy to start thinking “maybe I better bone up on this solar energy thing if I ever wanna stand a chance?” (pun intended!)

I strongly recommend you check out worldchanging.com’s thoughtful article “Make This Earth Day Your Last” that speaks to this more comprehensively.

Great Green Gadgets wishes you the best on Earth Day none the less.

Switching to energy efficient light-bulbs is great but tubular skylights go even further in that not only do you save electricity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions but you get free natural lighting. This natural light is not only brighter but also shows true color, unlike incandescent bulbs. It can also help reduce seasonal affective disorders. Green builders are often incorporating this type of lighting in their projects and works particularly well in commercial workplaces where most activity takes place during the day.
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Light Wind, a freestanding outdoor light powered by wind that turns blades made of sail fabric. Sadly, I don’t think you can actually get these wonderful wind powered lights yet as they seem to be just a prototype created by Dutch designers. I bet this technology could also make an awesome hat!
via metaefficient.com