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Archive for the ‘sustainability’ category: Page 477

Nov 19, 2019

The Anti-Solar Panel — A Device That Generates Electricity From Darkness

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability

There are different kinds of solar panels. The one most typically used is a type that generates electricity from the sun through a physical process called the photo-voltaic (PV) effect – when light exposure on certain materials generates an electric current. Another type generates electricity from heat through thermal processes – when the sun is hotter and Earth is cooler, and the difference in temperature can be converted into usable energy.

That second kind of solar panel is the one that inspired a team of researchers at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California to develop a new system that can harness energy in darkness. It’s based on the concept of using heat to generate energy but an inverse version of the solar panel. While the solar panel uses the heat difference between the sun and Earth with the Earth being the cooler side – their system makes use of the heat difference between the coolness of the night atmosphere and the Earth with the Earth being the hotter side. The study has been published in the scientific journal Joule.

Study author Shanhui Fan, Stanford electrical engineering professor, told Gizmodo:

Nov 19, 2019

Hydrogen Truck Maker Nikola Claims It Has Breakthrough Battery Tech—And Doesn’t Care If You’re Skeptical

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Nikola Motor, the Phoenix-based startup that wants to disrupt trucking with futuristic electric semis powered by hydrogen, says it has developed a new type of battery cell with double the energy density, only 40% of the weight and half the cost of current lithium-ion batteries used in Teslas and other consumer-market electric vehicles.

But it’s not providing many details for now, and public demonstrations won’t happen for about 10 months.

Continue reading “Hydrogen Truck Maker Nikola Claims It Has Breakthrough Battery Tech—And Doesn’t Care If You’re Skeptical” »

Nov 18, 2019

Grub granola? How we’ll all be eating insect-based foods in a decade

Posted by in categories: food, sustainability

Insect farming is a small – but growing – industry globally, with bugs touted as a sustainable and cheap food that is high in protein, vitamins, fibre and minerals. Their cultivation, meanwhile, has much less environmental impact than meat.


With predictions that the insect market could grow significantly, it is not just scientists cooking up ways to put bugs on the menu but also some of the world’s largest food and agricultural companies.

Nov 15, 2019

How Tesla’s first Gigafactory is changing Reno, Nevada

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, sustainability, transportation

Tesla’s first Gigafactory in Reno, Nevada, has a well-documented place in the company’s history, both for how it helped Elon Musk ship his first mass-market electric car and because production problems there nearly doomed the automaker. But what’s been harder to come by is an account of the impact the factory has had on the town it was built for — until this week, that is. USA Today’s The City podcast spent an episode vividly retelling how Tesla’s first Gigafactory came to Reno with a deep dive into the way it’s changed the city.

Nov 14, 2019

An Energy Breakthrough Could Store Solar Power for Decades

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability

Researchers in Sweden have created a molecule that offers a way to trap heat from the sun.

Nov 14, 2019

MIT Engineers Transparent Film To Replace Air Conditioners

Posted by in category: sustainability

Goodbye, bulky A/C units: This film can cool an entire building.

Nov 14, 2019

The beetle that pulls water from thin air

Posted by in category: sustainability

How a tiny beetle could help us harvest water from thin air.

Nov 14, 2019

‘World’s cheapest electric car’

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Chinese carmaker unveils the ‘world’s cheapest electric car,’ starting at less than $9,000.

Nov 14, 2019

Elon Musk Donates a Million Dollars to Plant a Million Trees

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, sustainability

According to an update by MrBeast, Musk is now in the number one spot with the most trees. Second spot goes to MrBeast himself with only 100,002 trees.

Nov 13, 2019

An Electric Motor That Works in Any Classic Car

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Anyone who’s owned a vintage car can tell you—and boy, will they tell you—how much time, money, and maintenance is required to keep their baby running. And don’t forget the gasoline, garage oil puddles, or tailpipe pollution involved.

A California startup may have the answer: A plug-and-play innovative motor to convert that finicky old gas-guzzler into an electric car. Eric Hutchison and Brock Winberg first gained attention by rescuing a moldering, V-8-powered 1978 Ferrari 308—you may know it as the model that “Magnum: P.I.” drove on TV—and transforming it into an electric marvel. Now, the co-founders of Electric GT have developed a DIY, electric “crate motor” that will let traditional gearheads or EV fans do the same.

“A lot of guys go out for a weekend in a classic car that’s 40 or 50 years old, but they get a ride home with AAA; it ends up being a one-way trip,” Hutchison says. “Here, you’re taking out 95 percent of the maintenance, which is the biggest problem with classic cars. So this is for enthusiasts who love their cars, but want a fun, reliable car that’s good for 100 or 125 miles on a weekend drive.”