Tag Archives: green power

Ultra-Portable Wind Turbine Generator Lets You Fast-Charge Your Devices Anywhere with Green Energy

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We have become so dependent on our electronic appliances and devices that we start to panic when the grid suddenly goes down. While solar power generators now offer a more sustainable alternative to the gasoline-chugging relics of the past, it’s a different story when you’re out in the wild with the sun nowhere to be seen. Of course, we can’t control the weather, but we can be prepared for any situation, including when things don’t go according to our perfect plans. Just because the sun isn’t around doesn’t mean you have to stress over the lack of power. With this ultra-portable 50W power generator, you can have the confidence and peace of mind to stay outdoors longer, thanks to the power of the all-present wind.

Designer: Aurea Technologies Inc.

Click Here to Buy Now: $356 $571 ($215 off). Hurry, only 6/74 left! Raised over $273,000.

Solar energy isn’t the only renewable energy source available. In fact, while solar panels are more popular for residential or personal uses, wind power is considered to be more reliable for wide-scale industrial use. Unfortunately, conventional wind turbines are neither small nor portable, making them inconvenient to use in more common, everyday scenarios. That is exactly what Shine 2.0 fixes, harnessing the power of the wind to power your outdoor adventures while enjoying the conveniences of modern technologies in a compact package that’s just the size of a large water bottle.

Shine 2.0 can generate up to 50W of power day or night, whether it’s sunny, cloudy, foggy, or even rainy. Its USB-C PD port outputs up to 75W to fast charge, smartphones, eReaders, tablets, and more. It can also power 12V devices, including laptops, and drones. Worried about a dry spell ruining your outdoor fun? The Shine 2.0 can generate as well as store power in its internal 12,000 mAh battery so you can use the oblong-shaped power generator as a power bank even after the wind has died down. And because of the wind’s cubic relationship with power, when the wind is twice as strong, the Shine 2.0 can generate eight times more power as well.

Shine 2.0 is designed for versatility. Are some low structures getting in the way of your wind? Shine 2.0’s 6-foot mount accessory raises it high above potential obstructions to capture more wind and maximize power generation. By using Shine 2.0’s custom adapter accessory, you can even charge power stations from EcoFlow, Bluetti, Jackery, and others. Sealed and weatherproof with an IP54 rating, Shine 2.0 is ready to face any condition to help you enjoy the great outdoors or even provide emergency backup power during an outage.

New to this second-gen wind turbine generator is a Bluetooth-connected app that lets you see all the critical stats like wind speed and power output without even having to get close. Weighing only 3 lbs and small enough to be stashed in a backpack water bottle compartment, Shine 2.0 offers unbeatable value in providing power on the go, wherever and whenever you need it. With this sleek, compact, and ultra-portable wind turbine, you no longer need to stress over surviving a few days away from power outlets, allowing you to enjoy the liberating experience of generating power from the wind.

Click Here to Buy Now: $356 $571 ($215 off). Hurry, only 6/74 left! Raised over $273,000.

The post Ultra-Portable Wind Turbine Generator Lets You Fast-Charge Your Devices Anywhere with Green Energy first appeared on Yanko Design.

James Dyson Award winner O-Wind turbine can generate electricity even under cross-winds

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The wind is one of the planet’s renewable sources of power, but its inconsistency and almost whimsical nature make it almost unreliable. Unlike solar panels that don’t mind where the sun is coming from, wind turbines are actually dependent on where the wind blows. Fortunately, a pair of engineers may have figured out a way to harness the power of the wind, even chaotic ones, while living plenty of room to spare in cramped urban neighborhoods.

Designers: Nicolas Orellana Olguin and Yaseen Noorani

Wind turbines unsurprisingly conjure up images of large blades spinning to generate an alternative source of electricity to fossil fuel. These behemoths were initially at the literal mercy of the winds, useful only when it comes from a certain direction. More advanced turbines can now change which direction they’re facing, but that doesn’t account for times when winds blow in almost all directions or change every second.

Two students from Lancaster University figured out a way to harness the full power of the wind without missing a bit, no matter which way the wind blows. Their first prototype was a wind rover inspired by the design of alveolar kites. It was a relative success, and the rover would roll forward in a single direction, regardless of which direction the wind was coming from. Of course, a turbine can’t be mobile, so they upgraded it to become an omnidirectional wind turbine or O-Wind for short.

The O-Wind is more spherical in shape, actually more like a polyhedron than a ball. It has vents facing in different directions to accept wind coming from different directions. However, thanks to the unique shape and design of those vents, the turbine still spins on just a single axis, similar to a conventional turbine. That, in turn, means that it can be used just like a typical wind turbine to generate electricity.

The designers made the O-Wind for use in urban settings where conventional turbines are too large and too complicated for such cramped spaces. Rather than spinning in the direction of the wind, rotating on a single axis makes the design simpler and requires less maintenance in the long run. In addition, the omnidirectional wind turbine’s compact and almost spherical form means that even apartment dwellers can have one outside their window, generating green power even on the most chaotic of windy days.

The post James Dyson Award winner O-Wind turbine can generate electricity even under cross-winds first appeared on Yanko Design.

Google data center in Oklahoma to get 48MW of wind power, boost renewable energy in the Sooner state

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Google data center in Oklahoma to get 48MW of wind power, boost renewable energy in the Sooner stateGoogle has made a point of relying on renewable resources for its data centers whenever possible, even down to the cooling. It hasn't had quite as unique an arrangement as what it's planning for its data center in Oklahoma, though. The search firm wants to supply its Mayes County location with 48MW of wind energy from Apex's Canadian Hills Wind Project, but it isn't buying power directly from the source. Instead, it's making a deal with the Grand River Dam Authority, a utility, to purchase the clean power on top of what's already supplied from the GRDA at present. The deal should keep the data center on the environmentally friendly side while giving it room to grow. Wind power will come online at Google's facility once the Canadian Hills effort is up and running later in 2012; hopefully, that gives us enough time to better understand why there's a Canadian River and Canadian Hills to be found in the southern United States.

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Google data center in Oklahoma to get 48MW of wind power, boost renewable energy in the Sooner state originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 01:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reported new DARPA chief brings true geek, dash of green tech controversy

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Reported new DARPA chief brings true geek, dash of green controversy

Running DARPA has always demanded a certain amount of tech-savviness -- it created what ultimately became the internet, after all -- but it may get an extra coat of green paint with a new leader. The agency has reportedly taken on Arati Prabhakar as its new director, and Wired notes that she has a lot more than just the agency itself under her belt. Along with going so far as to found DARPA's Microelectronics Technology Office, she ran the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and eventually signed on with Interval Research the venture capital firm that backed the solar power company Solyndra as well as numerous other green tech projects. That last decision has drawn a fair share of flak: Solyndra got about $500 million of public funding and still went under. With that in mind, an anonymous senior military staffer claims that Prabhakar wasn't involved in the questionable government loan and went through "extensive vetting," so it's doubtful that the funding will cast the same shadow over her DARPA technology investments as it did for the outgoing director, Regina Dugan. Even so, there will no doubt be a close watch over Prabhakar if the appointment is made public, both for those who want to keep her honest as well as for the potentially huge amount of insight into clean energy and general technology that she can wield.

[Image credit: SRI]

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Reported new DARPA chief brings true geek, dash of green tech controversy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 06:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: solar-powered plane, chrome Fisker Karma and the ‘blackest’ solar cells ever

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Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

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With the days getting longer and the spring sun creeping into the evening hours this week, we saw a host of impressive solar energy projects that put those rays to work. Kyocera revealed their plan for Japan's largest solar farm and French company Areva announced they will be building the largest solar installation in Asia. On the other side of the globe, New York City was proud to say that it recently tripled its solar power production and a new study showed that the United States pulled ahead of China in the clean energy race this year. We also saw designs for a new solar satellite that could harvest the sun's rays 24/7 and we ogled photos of the Image massive array of PV panels topping the zHome complex in Washington. A team at Natcore blew away the scientific community by creating the "blackest" solar cell ever designed and Panasonic gave us a sneak peek at its shimmering, solar-powered "Photosynthesis" Ecosystem installation, which will light up the night at the Milan Furniture Fair next week.

In green transportation news, Justin Bieber's blindingly shiny chrome Fisker Karma had people talking (and putting on their sunglasses), while the former head of R&D at GM predicted that we'll see driverless cars by 2020. Honda announced that it is teaming up with Zipcar to provide EVs and hybrids to Zipsters and Ferrari confirmed that its future V12 models will have a new hybrid system. Finally, SolarWorld sent us news about their new Elektra solar-powered plane, which can fly twice as far as its predecessor.

Smart design continued to make the world a little better with innovations like this vibrating glove that lets blind people text and Montessori's Intro to Letters app, which teaches kids the alphabet. We also got back into nature (literally) with these see-through bubble tents surrounded by trees, and we reflected upon the mysterious human-shaped mirror sculptures that popped up in a Scottish forest.

Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar-powered plane, chrome Fisker Karma and the 'blackest' solar cells ever originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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