Generate Some Negawatts

July 15, 2009

While researching for the Wide Angle on the Smart Grid, I came across a term that I had never seen before: Negawatts. Nega what? Immediately I g=Googled and discovered that this term dates back to at least 1989, when experimental physicist and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Institute, Amory Lovins gave the keynote address (The Negawatt Revolution: Solving the CO2 Problem) at a Green Energy Conference in Montreal. I can't believe I never came across the word, but it's an important one to have as part of your volcabulary.

Smart Grid FAQs and As

July 10, 2009

We're focusing on the smart grid this week with lots of articles, interviews, podcasts and blogs. There's a ton of stuff out there on this topic. I have my Google Alert set to "smart grid," and my mail box is inundated with news and stories daily. It's a bit overwhelming. There are so many components, including hardware, software, infrastructure, standards, protocols, etc. Hardly any of it has been implemented, but the country seems to charging forward and most of us are sitting around thinking, "What the heck does it mean for me?"

One of the stories that popped up in my in box today helps answer that question and others about the smart grid with a short Q&A. It's from CNET and it answers the following seven questions:

1. What is the smart grid?
2. What would a smart grid be able to do that today's not-so-smart grid can't?
3. What are some examples?
4. Who are the companies participating in the smart grid?
5. OK, so the smart grid is supposed to reduce wasted energy, give consumers better information, and allow the grid to use more solar and wind power. What's the hold-up?
6. Is the smart grid more secure?
7. So when will I have my smart grid?

It's a short article and worth reading to get a solid understanding of what this is all about.

Hey Power Grid: Smarten Up!

July 06, 2009

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law. Of the $787 billion intended to stimulate the economy, $43 billion will be spent directly on energy-related matters. And a big piece of the energy pie will be devoted to the the power grid, which works about the same way it did when Thomas Edison conceived of it. Find out what needs fixing and why in this Wide Angle series: The Smart Grid.

• News: Community Genome Could Produce Biofuels
  The genomes of 17 different ants, fungi and bacteria that eat through hundreds of pounds of leaf matter a year could give scientists new clues to how a 50 million-year-old bioreactor operates.

• Puzzle: Plugging Into the Smart Grid
  Spend some time piecing together the power grid.

• Blog: Micro-Curtailment to Curb AC Use
  This is a story about how you can curtail people's air-conditioning use without them noticing, and the big opportunity this represents to do a little micro-curtailing.

• HowStuffWorks: How Living Off the Grid Works
  For most people, paying utility bills is a tiresome and frustrating task. What if there was a way to get out from under the thumb of public utilities and produce your own sustainable energy?

Photo: iStockPhoto

Microbes Make Wind Power Possible

June 05, 2009

I want to point you to a news story, Discovery tech writer Eric Bland published on the Discovery News site back in April. It has to do with a microbe that, in the natural world, consumes electrons emitted by bacteria and emits methane. Scientists think that the microbe, Methanobacterium palustre, could be used to consume excess electricity generated from renewable sources, such as wind, and emit methane that could be used to power a fuel cell or could be stored chemically until it's needed later.

Read Microbe-Powered Fart Machine Stores Energy for more details. It just goes to show that there's more than one way to make renewable energy work.

The Wide Angle: Green Energy

March 09, 2009

The green energy revolution is driven by inventors and entrepreneurs who are making saving the planet a viable and profitable venture. This Wide Angle on Green Energy looks at the different kinds of green power available, from what's going on in the lab to what's being installed in the field and how everyone can benefit. 

And on TV, be sure to watch Earth: The Sequel, March 11, 12 and 15, on the Discovery Channel.

News: Hamster Power Charges Digital Devices
Researchers fitted a hamster with nanopiezoelectric jacket. As the hamster runs, the jacket moves and bounces to generate a current. About 1,000 hamster hours gives a full charge to a typical cell phone.

Video: Alternative Turkey Energy
The turkey industry produces over 1,7 million tons of turkey litter every year. In addition to fertilizer, this can now be used as an alternative energy source. Learn more in "HowStuffWorks" on Discovery Channel.

Video: Underwater Turbines Pump Out Energy
Parts of New York City are getting their power from underwater turbines. Kasey-Dee Gardner finds out more about this type of renewable energy.

Top 10: Ideas for a Greener Roof
Blending modern techniques with tried-and-true methods can turn an empty roof into an environmentally sound space. Here are the hottest ways for roofs to go green.

Puzzle: Green Power
Eco-friendly energy comes in all shapes and sizes. Check out some of the most popular means for acquiring sustainable power.

Quiz: Is it Green or Green-washed?
As the green movement continues to gather momentum and support, more organizations and companies are jumping on the train. But sometimes adopting a truly green business model is complicated and expensive. In other words: It isn't easy being green. As a result, some companies hoodwink consumers into thinking their company's products and services are green, when they are not. Test your green vs. greenwashing knowledge with this quiz.

How To: Go Green
A comprehensive breakdown of the different types of alternative energy available to power and heat your home as well as notes on what you should consider before investing in one.

Work and Connect: Green Your Home, Get a Tax Break
The United States government is extending tax breaks to homeowners who have decided to green up their home. Here's a rundown of 16 green upgrades to a house that could net homeowners a tax break.

Powrtalk Blog: Wet, Green Energy
The earth's surface is seventy percent ocean. Half the world lives within fifty miles of (but not upon) the oceans. More live near (but not upon) lakes and rivers and streams. This represents a lot of energy-laden water, located exactly next to people.

Photo: iStockphoto/Andrejs Zemdega

On Deck for the Week of Dec. 1

December 01, 2008

Monday, Dec. 1: We need to dramatically reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. So, how? Some think we should be burying it in the ground. Others say that's a risky endeavor. We'll have a Double Take, featuring both sides of the controversy.

We'll also have a video from producer Kasey-Dee Gardner about a new endoscope that creates 3-D images. The device provides doctors with a much better (and deeper) image of tissue than conventional endoscopes and that can improve diagnosis.

Tuesday, Dec. 2: Take a break from holiday shopping and do a puzzle. This month, our category is robots inspired by living things. Scientists call them "biomimetic."

Wednesday, Dec. 3: Gene Charleton has his weekly podcast from Engineering Works!

Thursday, Dec. 4: Some ancient buildings are lost and gone forever. But scientists are using virtual reality to rebuild architecture, allowing people to walk along corridors or through courtyards in ways that previously were not possible. Read the IM interview with Jose Kozan.

Friday, Dec. 5: Guest blog from David Alexander Ellis. Does Social Stimuli Expand Time? Recently graduated PhD student, David Ellis, tells us about his area of study and what it's like to be starting down the path of research. Read his guest blog.

On Deck for the Week of Nov. 24

November 24, 2008

Monday, Nov. 24: Podcast from Clark Boyd. Among lots of things, he'll be talking about how experts are trying to reduce internet scams.

Tuesday, Nov. 25: It's Thanksgiving week and everyone is getting on the road. And you know that means traffic accidents and traffic jams. Jorge Ribas has a video for us about "roads of the future" where cars talk to each other, to the roadside and even to other people's mobile phones—all to make driving safer and smoother.

Wednesday, Nov. 26: Our weekly podcast from Gene Charleton. Venice is sinking. Or rather, the sea around it is rising. The Italian government is spending $4 billion on an engineering project to save it. Listen to what it's all about.

Thursday, Nov. 27: We need to dramatically reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. So, how? For starters, we can stop pumping it into the air. But Kurt Zenz House and Julie Shoemaker of Harvard University think we should be burying it in the ground. They give us their take.

Friday, Nov. 28: Guest blog from David Alexander Ellis. Does Social Stimuli Expand Time? Recently graduated PhD student, David Ellis, tells us about his area of study and what it's like to be starting down the path of research. Read his guest blog.

Green Roofs, Warp Engines and Cheap Solar Power

August 01, 2008

These are the coolest stories I read this past week.

July 25 / Scientific American
Urban Roofscapes: Using "Wasted" Rooftop Real Estate to an Ecological Advantage
How a green roof can minimize run-off and mitigate the urban “heat island effect.”

July 25 / BBC
HP's Plan to Fix Ailing Planet
Trillions of sensors deployed worldwide will monitor the state of the planet and pick up ailments (wildfires, hurricanes, bacteria, hazardous chemicals) that may need to be warded off or remedied.

July 26 / The New York Times
China Surpasses U.S. in Number of Internet Users
Is anyone surprised? I'm so not surprised that I almost didn't put this on the list. You're right. I'm taking it off. 

July 28 / Discovery News
Warp Drive Engine Would Travel Faster Than Light
Gather 'round Trekkies. Your time has come. Two physicists have figured out warp drive works without breaking the laws (of physics, that is).

July 28 / Scientific American
Engineering Silicon Solar Cells to Make Photovoltaic Power Affordable
One company is on a mission to get the cost of solar cells down to a buck a watt. Those are light bulb prices that would make energy from the sun competitive with that from coal-burning power plants.

July 28 / The New York Times
Former Employees of Google Prepare Rival Search Engine
This company pronounces their name, Cuil, as "cool." That, and the fact that they are trying to upstage Google, makes me narrow my eyes with skepticism.

July 30 / Nature
Energy: Upgrading the Grid
What it takes to make a stupid power grid super smaht.

July 30 / Wired
Project to Rebuild Internet Gets $12M, Bandwidth
There's a project dedicated to rebuilding the Internet's underlying architecture? Whoa. I didn't even know about that.

July 30 / BBC
Olympic Link to Early 'Computer'
A closer look at an ancient Greek timepiece discovered in 1901 reveals that it has dials that record the dates of the original Olympic games.

July 31 / Technology Trends
OmegaTable, A 24-million Pixel VR Display
This virtual reality display is a multi-sensory touch tabletop that gives people a 3D experience without looking like a giant dork in those special glasses.

July 31 / Technology Review
3-D Printing for the Masses
This printing service takes orders from customers and turns ideas into three-dimensional prototypes at an affordable cost. If you're an artist, architect, designer, or general hobbyist, you might want to read this article.

July 31 / The Guardian
Sweet Peas Make a Second Skin
Didn't know this, but an enzyme in sweet pea pods and seeds can cause floppy skin in grazing animals. That's totally weird. But that same enzyme, when used in a polymer gel wound dressing, could relieve shrinking or lumpy skin grafts on burn victims.

July 31 / Economist
Genetically Modified Olympians?
You can detect performance-enhancing drugs, for the most part, but how do you detect gene therapy?

July 31 / New Scientist
Solar-Cell Material Can Soak Up More Sun
The sun cranks out a ton of energy, but conventional solar cells are only able to absorb the visible light part of the sun's spectrum. A new material that absorbs the infrared could, in theory take energy absorption from 30 percent to 63 percent.

The Week of Tech (According to Me)

July 25, 2008

July 18 / New Scientist
People Power is New Weapon Against Olympic Terrorism
Q: How many people does it take to protect the Olympics from a terrorist attack? A: 15 million. Well, that's probably overkill. But if you can heighten the awareness of millions of people, you may get more leads on possible terrorists. Or you may just work up a big crowd into a paranoid frenzy.

July 18 / Wired
The Dark Knight: 'Where Does He Get Those Wonderful Toys?'
Batman is a gadget freakazoid. He's got every high-tech gizmo you could ever hope to by on E-Bay. I'm gonna wait until the prices comes down.

July 19 / The New York Times
Sweeping Panoramas, Courtesy of a Robot
This robot repeatedly clicks a camera shutter in order to take hundreds of overlapping images from a variety of different angles. When combined into one big panoramic image, the high-res result is a one gigapixel shot. The benefit? Useful detail without the finger cramps.

July 21 / Discovery News
Could A Contact Lens Save Your Vision?
Now contact lenses correct eyesight. But soon, they fix medical problems such as glaucoma by administering medication.

July 21 / Guardian
Solve It
How to chat to people with different instant messaging applications.

July 21 / Xconomy
30 Startup Ideas from Y Combinator
From the category of "tech that hasn't been invented yet," here's a list of technologies that fill a need. If only they existed.

July 22 / The New York Times
If You Have a Problem, Ask Everyone
This web site capitalizes on the human nature to give advice. Only this place pays dividends.

July 22 / IEEE Specturm
Why Microwave Auditory Effect Crowd-Control Gun Won't Work
Well, now here's a way to control a big crowd (maybe those paranoid Olympic attendees?): fry 'em with a microwave auditory gun.

July 22 / Technology Trends
First Paper-Based Transistors
Portuguese researchers have created the first paper-based transistors. The advance could lead to disposable electronics devices, such as paper displays, smart labels and RFID tags.

July 23 / Guardian
Solar Power from Saharan Sun Could Provide Europe's Electricity, Says EU
Africa has so many natural resources: gold, diamonds, oil. And now scientist are saying that just a small part of the continent could generate enough solar energy to supply Europe with electricity.

July 23 / Technology Review
A Concrete Fix to Global Warming
A new process stores carbon dioxide in precast concrete.

July 23 / Wired
Intel CEO Calls for 10 Million Plug-In Conversions within Four Years
Andy Grove's called for 10 million vehicles to be converted to plug-in hybrids within four years and laid out some ideas to help get us there.

July 24 / Discovery News
Power From Poop: Putting Manure to Use
Methane from manure could supply more than 2 percent of the country's electricity needs.

Atom-Fusing Laser, Robotic Jellyfish, Invisibility Carpet, A Pregnancy Gene and More

July 18, 2008

These are the coolest tech stories I discovered this past week.

July 12 / The New York Times
Can’t Find a Parking Spot? Check Smartphone
If you live a big city, then you know what it's like to drive around and around looking for that elusive parking spot. But starting this fall, San Franciscans will be in for a treat. The city is testing the use of wireless sensors that will communicate to street signs or a smartphone the availability of free spaces. Now just don't run anyone over trying to get the spot first.

July 13 / Guardian
Doctors Rage At Being Rated Online
As a big fan of AngiesList and Yelp, I'm all for a Web site that will allow patients to rate their doctors online. Isn't it all about referrals anyway? And health care is a service for which we pay big bucks. So suck it up, GPs, and get with the times.

July 15 / Discovery News
Giant Laser in the Works to Achieve Fusion
Wouldn't Dr. Evil love this "laser?" It can't blow up the planet, but at 10 stories tall and 400 feet long, it will create enough heat and pressure to fuse atoms and create helium. The reaction will release massive amounts of environmentally friendly energy and enough helium to keep us all talking about it with high squeaky voices.

July 15 / New Scientist
Dirt-Repelling Tube Promises Cheap, Pure Water
Man, we've really messed up the world's water supply. Most of it can't be consumed without being purified first, and that's not good for people living in developing worlds. But a a new way of purifying water could offer a simple solution. The technique uses a material that naturally attracts water while at the same time repelling impurities.

July 15 / BBC
The Importance of Being There
You have to really not like your surroundings (or yourself?) to prefer a virtual world over reality. But even still, VR environments have a long way to go before they will supplant this world, says regular columnist Bill Thompson.

July 16 / Wired
Obama Wages Cyberwar
Even though the Bush administration has initiated a $30 billion effort to beef up cyber security, Obama says its too little too late.

July 16 / Popular Science
Robotic Jellyfish Just Like the Real Thing, But Without the Sting
Sure, it's great that the AquaJelly has sensors, a short-range radio system, LEDs for illumination and communication and is coated with conductive metal paint that helps it connect with a nearby charging station, but I think they're dern pretty and I sure wish I had one. Hint hint.

July 16 / Wired
Army Wants 'Psychologically Inspired' Robot Vision
Robots score a big "duh" when it comes to vision. They just can't see the world we do. That's why the Army has put out an APB for a "psychologically inspired object recognition system." But do we really want robots seeing the world through our eyes? What if they notice what a bunch of doofuses we are?

July 17 / Discovery News
Invisible Carpet Idea Close to Actual Invisibility
Invisibility cloaks are great for hiding giant spaceships, but an invisibility carpet is just way more practical. Scientists have created a material that can hide objects in visible light. My question: If we can't see it, how will we know it's working? (See what I mean about being a doofus.)

July 17 / Popular Science
A Gene for Baby Makin’
This could put an end to birth control pills, foams and devices and eliminate the need for testicle snipping. Scientists have located the gene that both regulates and blocks ovulation.

July 17 / Wired
Why China's Olympian Efforts to Clean Up Beijing's Air Won't Work.
China is doing a bunch of stuff to clean up the air in time for the Olympics. Smoking bans, traffic bans and turning off power plants to name of few. But it might not make any difference.

Photo: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory