Tag Archives: future
Next Generation LED Wafers
A recent article published at this site discussed the prospectus for lowering the cost of LED lighting by the transition to less-expensive wafers such as silicon (Si). This follow-up article discusses some of the technical issues surrounding this thrust in technology. Gallium nitride (GaN) is one of the top thin-film epitaxial layers used for high-brightness LEDs but it has required relatively [...]
The Future of Solar Roofs
There are two remarkable things about the 25-kilowatt solar system just completed by Frederic Roofing. The first is how unremarkable the 84-year-old roofing company’s first solar installation was and the second is where the company will build its second system. “Probably the hardest part of the job was getting everything up on the roof,” VP [...]
The Hideaway House Concept from Michael Jantzen
I was inspired to develop this as a result of various observations regarding certain advancements in high tech fabric structures. The fabrics used to create many of these structures will last for many years in very harsh environments. They are very tough, will hold their color, and are fire resistant as well. I thought it [...]
Sodium-Ion Batteries: The Future of Electric Vehicles?
AutoBlog Green had some interesting news to report this morning. Apparently Toyota is looking into potentially replacing the lithium-ion batteries in their hybrids and EVs with sodium-ion batteries. Though at best it’s just a rumored possibility at the moment, according to the AutoBlog report, sodium-ion batteries would have the potential to turn EVsinto what we’ve [...]
The Solar Pocket Factory Concept Launched on KickStarter
A KickStarter project shows how solar panel factories could become a feature of any neighborhood, producing cheap solar panels for an age when these would become truly mass consumption items. Devised by inventors Shayne Frayne and Alex Hornstein, the duo has come up with a concept called “solar pocket factory” to produce cheaper small-scale panels [...]
In Focus: Green Education Opportunities
Today, word like sustainability and conservation have become part of our culture. It’s taken long enough, but environmentalism has gone beyond being just a social movement – it’s become a fundamental, legitimate ideology that affects many parts of life. Living green is a consideration when it comes to both building and operating homes and offices, [...]
Stair-Scape Cubes by Michael Jantzen
Stair-Scape Cubes are large public art structures made of steel. They are designed to encourage people to gather together and exercise by climbing on the stairs that weave through the giant support frame grids. As people climb the stairs, electricity is generated for the communities in which the Stair-Scape Cubes are installed, through the piezoelectric [...]
The FutureShip Zero-Emission Concept
I don’t know when the next time I’ll have the opportunity to take a ferry across the Baltic, but if it’s 2017, chances are it might be on a FutureShip, a ferry that will utilize a zero-emission propulsion concept developed for shipping company Scandlines. “Slow steaming” is not a new concept for international container shipping, which [...]
Energy Efficiency Futurewatch: Self-Calibrating Sensors
Everyone’s heard the old saying: you can’t manage what you can’t measure. But what if you can’t even measure what you’re measuring in the first place? That’s actually a key problem with the sensors used to monitor and control today’s factories, data centers, offices and other buildings. The fact is, they go out of whack, [...]