The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has received a new shipment of seeds for long-term storage. The shipment to the vault in Longyearbyen, Norway contained 20,000 seed samples from Japan, Brazil, Peru, Mexico and the USA. For the first time, Okayama University in Japan has deposited a collection of 575 barley variants in the seed vault. Brazil has deposited 514 variants of beans, … [Read more...]
Thermoelectricity through infrared emissions: a new, vast energy source?
We know a thermoelectric generator produces electricity from temperature differences, and we know the earth is warm compared to outer space – does that mean we have a vast, untapped energy source? Physicists at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) think so, and have proposed two different ways we could generate DC power by emitting infrared light into … [Read more...]
DIY easy solar hot water heater
Build It Solar has a great DIY article about an easy solar hot water heater (a thermosyphon system) made by a resident of Costa Rica named Peter. Peter wanted to build a simple, rugged, inexpensive system to provide hot water for showers: Like most houses in Costa Rica, our casita in Monteverde had no hot water. Our two showers were fitted with electric shower heads. At … [Read more...]
Family pays $26,750 for solar panels never received
A family in Belleville, Illinois paid A1 Energy, LLC $26,750 for solar panels they never received. Fifteen months after payment, they’re still waiting for the panels. They’re not alone – after complaining to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the BBB found other victims and lowered A1 Energy’s rating to F, which in this case probably stands for an expletive. A … [Read more...]
4 new mystery gases threaten ozone layer
Four new man-made compounds that deplete our ozone layer have been discovered – three chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and one hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC). All four trace back to the 1960s, and two of the compounds continue to accumulate in our atmosphere. Their source is unidentified: We don't know where the new gases are being emitted from and this should be investigated. Of the … [Read more...]
World’s largest scale model of the Solar System
After looking at A Tediously Accurate Map of the Solar System the other day, I was reminded of a much bigger model of the same system. It's found in Sweden, and it makes perfect sense when you see Globen – the building in Stockholm chosen to represent the sun. The official name for is Ericsson Globe, and the original name was Stockholm Globe Arena, but the popular name has … [Read more...]
U.S. solar market grows 41%, record year in 2013
We all know solar is getting big, but these numbers are impressive: according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association's (SEIA) Solar Market Insight Year in Review 2013, photovoltaic (PV) installations increased 41% over 2012 and reached 4,751 megawatts (MW). Solar was the number two source of new electricity following natural gas, and the cost of solar … [Read more...]
The car that parks and recharges itself
Toyota will soon begin testing a wireless parking and charging system for its EVs. No physical connection is required with the new system – a transmitting coil in the ground aligns with a receiving coil in the car, and electricity transfers wirelessly between the two. The charging system transmits electricity by using the magnetic resonance resulting from changes in … [Read more...]
Triboelectric generators, powered by your pants
It's sounds like a utopian idea – walk around, dance, or simply convert the mechanical action of rainfall into electric current. A Phys.org article asks the question: Tribo-electric, the buzzword of the future? It is an alluring goal of clean, reliable power free from geo-political risks—and scientists in the United States said Tuesday it lies within reach, thanks to a smart … [Read more...]
What if the Moon was only 1 pixel large?
Billed as a tediously accurate map of the solar system, If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel is an entertaining view of our corner of the universe. It's especially good if you enjoy scrolling, because it turns out the solar system is big even when the moon is only 1 pixel in size. What begins as a humorous trip filled with one liners becomes something more philosophical as the … [Read more...]