Green Technology - Electronics

Secrets behind Wind Turbine Technology

In some places of the world, wind turbine power accounts for ten percent of the total electricity consumed.  This is, sadly, a very small fraction of the power generation and consumption coming from coal plants as well as from solar panels.  Still, it is progress that we should welcome for the simple reason that taking it one step at a time is better than taking no steps at all in the right direction. To take these small but important steps towards cleaner electricity through wind power, it is important to know about the secrets, open these may be to anyone interested, behind wind turbine technology. Turbines in Relation to the Generation of Electricity Think of your ordinary electric fan - it generates wind by using electricity.  Now think of the wind turbine although in a reverse mode - it generates electricity by using wind.  The technology behind wind power can be summed up as simply as that statement. But of course, electricity generation is hardly ever that simple.  Let's put it this way for the non-techie amongst us.  The turbine blades are designed so as to capture the maximum amount of wind, which will cause them to rotate.  In turn, the rotation spins the ...

The Environmentally Friendly Display: LCD, not CRT

Your old CRT monitor does more than just take up space and provide a place for the cat to sleep.  It's also using a lot of power!  A traditional cathode ray tube is far less energy efficient than a newer flat panel LCD type monitor.  With LCDs becoming cheaper, higher in quality and much more reliable, there's a good reason to replace your old monitor. Of course, if you still have a fully functioning CRT, you may want to wait a while.  However, most of these older monitors are beginning to experience flicker or other problems, too.  That means that if yours is showing performance problems, you may want to think about an LCD.  As much as sixty-six percent more energy efficient, eighty percent smaller and lighter, and a lot handier, an LCD is an excellent choice for your next monitor. That energy efficiency will help you save money on power and reduce fuel consumption.  The lighter weight and smaller size make your monitor easier to move around and more efficient to produce and to ship.  Plus, your LCD uses less heat, so you won't need to run the AC or fan as much in the summer. There are also health benefits to ...

Ditch your Answering Machine and Switch to Voice Mail

Although not an idea that jumps right to mind, experts are showing in study after study that by using voice mail, less energy is consumed and results in less hazardous waste than the use of answering machines. In the same way that power plants are responsible for producing considerably less pollution than if everyone ran their own fossil fuel-based generators (or by using electric cars in place of the commercially common gas-powered ones), centralizing voice mail into large servers requires far less electricity than by everyone using their own dedicated machines.  These machines must be on and active 24hours a day, seven days a week.  Such electronics are responsible for 25% of home energy use, according to Energy Star, the corporation responsible for rating electronics and appliances based on the energy that can be saved by their use, and these electronics directly contribute 2% of the U.S.'s output of overall global warming gases. The Green Book, an ecological conservation group, reports that should all answering machines currently used in U.S. homes was to be replaced by voice mail, the annual energy savings would be nearly two billion kilowatt-hours.  This is more or less the equivalent of taking 250,000 cars off the road ...

Looking at the iPad: Is It Really All That Green?

There are many people are have been taking a close look at the iPad recently.  The big question is whether it is truly green, when it is put up against the product that it is trying to replace.  When Kindle hit the scene, everyone thought it was the greatest thing but now, it seems that iPad might be giving it a run for the money. First, just what is the iPad?  The iPad is an electronic device that will allow you to listen to your favorite music, read all of your favorite books, use the Internet, and store your favorite videos - along with many other things. While there is the obvious benefit of not using trees to create the books, there have been concerns over the iPad itself being bad for the environment in other ways.  The thing is, though, the display glass of the iPad is free of Arsenic.  There are no Brominated flame retardants used on or in the iPad.  The LCD display is also free of mercury and the whole thing is PVC free.  The glass enclosure and the aluminum are recyclable.  All in all, the iPad does ...

Hot Green Technology - Solar Hot Water

Going with a hot water heating system that runs on solar energy is a great option.  It is definitely efficient.  It can help you save energy, it is easy to maintain, it's reliable, and there are few parts to it.  Here is a closer look at why solar hot water is such an efficient option.  After taking a look at the benefits, you may want to make the switch yourself. Energy Savings You'll find that a solar hot water heater, whether it is passive or active, can help you to save a lot of energy.  In fact, it can save better than 50% of energy costs for the hot water on a yearly basis.  You also help to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses, which helps the environment.  This helps others make the best use of energy that comes from each source. Easy to Maintain Another reason that a solar hot water heater is so efficient is because they are so easy to maintain.  All you need to do is put up a solar panel on the roof and then you put a collector in your home, which is connected to the pipes so the hot water can be distributed.  All you will need ...