Green Technology - Electronics

The New 3-D Lithium-Ion Battery

At the 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), scientists made claims that the next generation battery might be 3-D. The battery is a new lithium-ion battery with a three dimensional interior architecture that could be great for the electric cars that are starting to hit the market. The new lithium-ion battery is already available as a prototype. The 3-D lithium-ion battery recharges in only minutes, a big improvement from the batteries that take hours to charge. These new batteries might make it possible for electric cars to recharge as fast as a gas powered vehicle fills up at the gas station. According to scientists, the 3-D battery could potentially be the start for more powerful, longer-lasting batteries for all sorts of other rechargeable electronic devices. The research team has a 3-D prototype, which is about the size of a cell phone battery. It takes around 12 minutes to recharge compared to 2 hours for a conventional lithium-ion battery. The battery can be discharged more than double as many times as a conventional lithium ion battery at high discharge rates. Research at Colorado State University is aimed at improving lithium-ion batteries, which currently outperform nickel-cadmium (NiCad) batteries. Lithium-ion ...

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Soda Wars Over Eco-Friendly Bottles

PepsiCo Inc. Recently announced a bottle that is made one hundred percent from plant material, attesting that their green technology is better than their competitor's, Coca-Cola, in reducing their carbon footprint in the manufacturing of their drink products. Pepsi is basically saying that their bottles are now greener than Coca Cola's bottles. Let the battle begin! Pepsi's bottle was crafted from switch grass, cornhusks, pine bark and other materials. Down the line, Pepsi plans to utilize oat hulls, potato scraps, orange peels and other leftovers from its food business to manufacture its drink bottles. Their new bottles have the same look and feel they always have, and the new bottle protects the drinks in the bottle just the same way as it always had, according to Rocco Papalia, the senior vice president of advanced research at PepsiCo. According to Papalia, people won't be able to tell the difference between the two bottles. According to PepsiCo, they have manufactured the world's first bottle of PET, a common type of plastic, that is made one hundred percent from plant-based materials. Coca-Cola is currently manufacturing a bottle that uses thirty percent plant-based materials. They recently estimated that it would be a number of years before ...

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How The Computer Industry Has Become More Eco-Friendly

There are significant developments that have come from the technology sector in the last few years when it comes to going green and being environmentally conscious. Global warming and a whole host of other environmental issues are a major concern around the globe and it’s no wonder that the computer industry has made efforts of their own. New Zealand launched an ambitious plan to get 90% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025. Kohl’s, JC Penny and Office Depot have announced green building plans. General Electric has doubled sales from environmentally friendly products in the last few years. Computers are difficult to recycle which is a problem considering that computers are made with a decent amount of lead, cadmium, brominated fire retardants and plastics. Processor speed has followed Moore’s Law causing energy use to increase. Out of the $250 billion spent around the world annually powering computers, an estimated 85% of that energy was wasted idling. As a result, computers have been blamed for causing as much global warming as the airline industry. Fortunately, the computer industry has been working on going green the last few years. Computers have sophisticated power saver and hibernation modes as well as laptops that don’t ...

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Ductless Split-System Air Conditioners

There is a new way to cool down your home or office on the market and it's catching the attention of consumers at a rapid pace. This new cooling system will save you money on the energy bill and significantly reduce your energy usage. It's called a ductless split-system air conditioner and it gives consumers more control of how they use the air conditioning. Ductless split-system air conditioners combine the zone control of window or through the wall units, with the cooling capabilities of central air systems. Similar to central air systems, they have a compressor/condenser unit outdoors and an air-handler containing an evaporator coil and a fairly quiet fan indoors. The coolant tubing connects the two components. The great feature about the ductless split-system air conditioner is that it allows you to control each room in a household or office separately. Each space has its very own thermostat to allow for different settings around the house. This feature is a great option when comparing to central cooling systems, which only have one setting. It's wasteful to cool the entire place when you just want to cool your living room while you're watching a movie. The ductless split-system air conditioner will accommodate ...

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How to Donate or Recycle Old Computers

Computers enhance our lives and make some careers and lifestyles possible. But when they break or wear out, what do you do with them? Many people just stick them in the basement. But the more responsible choices are to donate or recycle your computer. Here's how. 1. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (epa.gov) is a great place to start. It lists contacts for local programs so you can find computer recycling or donation programs near you. See if they have a "Plug-In to eCycling Partner" in your area. 2. Earth911.com is a site that has consolidated the names and contact information of many environmental networks and programs. Contact them to find information about eCycling in your community. 3. My Green Electronics, at digitaltips.org/green, is provided by the Consumer Electronics Association. It has good information on the purchase or recycling of used electronics, and has a zip code search to help you find recycling opportunities in your area. 4. TechSoup.org, besides having a catchy name, is also a comprehensive collection of information to help those who want to recycle, refurbish, or donate their old computer. If you are a refurbisher yourself, this is a good site to ...

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