MoneySavers & Green Products

What Will McCain and Obama Do About Plug-In Hybrids?

jplatt — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0400

With four weeks to go until the presidential election, it's time to start thinking about the potential impact that Barak Obama and John McCain will have on the environment over the next four years. One area where both candidates see a future is in hybrid vehicles.

Each candidate has expressed a desire to bring plug-in hybrid cars off the drawing boards and into our garages.

McCain's plan is simpler, and hinges on the thought that plug-in prototypes are not quite ready for prime time. McCain told ScienceDebate2008.org: that he would create a "$300 million prize for the development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars. This is one dollar for every man, woman and child in the U.S. -- a small price to pay for helping to break the back of our oil dependency – and curb the dangerous effects of global climate change."

Obama, on the other hand, is ready to start buying hybrid vehicles right now. According to his web site, Obama wants to use government buying power to jump-start the commercial market for plug-in hybrids. He promises to convert all White House vehicles to plug-in hybrids within one year (as long as that doesn't create any security issues). After that, he says he'll mandate that half of all new vehicles annually purchased by the government are plug-ins in just four years.

Obama's energy platform promises a $150 billion investment over 10 years which will, among other things, "accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids." He wants to put a million plug-in hybrids on the road in seven years, and will push for a $7,000 tax credit to help make that happen. He also promises $4 billion in "retooling tax credits" to manufacturers so they can be ready to put plug-ins on the road and repair them.

Interestingly, neither the Green Party nor its candidate Cynthia McKinney appear to have a specific policy about hybrid vehicles.

Toshiba Offers Free Electronics Recycling

jplatt — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:08:01 -0400

Looking for a way to get rid of your old electronics in an environmentally responsible way? Toshiba has a solution for you.

Toshiba's Digital Products Division this week expanded its free recycling program, which previously only accepted Toshiba products, to include devices from any manufacturer. They'll accept PCs, laptops, MP3 players, digital cameras, mobile phones, and a whole lot more.

What makes this program a bit different is that you have the option of turning in your old devices for cash. For example, I have an old Palm Z22 PDA lying around. According to the site, the Palm has not trade-in value, so I wouldn't get any money, but they would send me a $25 Starbucks gift card for recycling it through them. (Too bad I don't drink coffee...)

Once you decide to send a device to Toshiba, you can print out a postage-paid label to send it to their warehouse. They'll check it out, then send you a check or whatever other bonus you earned.

Of course, it's always good to know what happens to a device once you send it in for recycling. Are they taking care of it responsibly? But Toshiba at least has a solid "green" initiative, so you can feel pretty good about giving this program a try.

Remote Energy Monitors

ellen — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:40:54 -0400

I have posted about remote energy monitors before (click here and here). Several studies have shown that average energy users can reduce their consumption by at least 15% if they can be made aware of their usage in real time.

In addition to the Power Cost Monitor, I have recently come across 2 additional models with various features. Please note that I haven't test driven these yet. I'm comparing based on available information.

The Energy Detective (TED)

and the

Power Cost Monitor

both cost approx. $140 and can interface with a computer to allow you chart your usage over time.

A new model by Black and Decker (pictured above) costs less than $100 but does not allow interface with a computer so the information is available but a little harder to analyze.

None of these models require an electrician to install them, you just install them at the glass cover of your meter (if it's the kind that has the spinning disks) or you can plug them into newer electrical meters which have a port for this kind of device.

While initially I was really excited that this kind of device could be used for anyone who pays their own electric bill, it seems that folks who live in big apartment buildings may have a harder time with these because of the long distance between the apartment and the meter. I plan to install a few of these on projects in the next few months. I'll keep you posted.

If you have used one and have comments, please let us know!

Ellen

www.ehapc.com

[brooklyn green] www.ehapc.wordpress.com

Five Green Devices Every Home Should Have

jplatt — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:44:18 -0400

You don't have to install huge solar panels on your home or drive a hybrid vehicle to go green. Sometimes, the best steps to take are the littlest ones. With that in mind, here are five green devices that should be in every home, all of which are easy to find, and none of which will break the bank.

1. A battery charger. Too many of our devices and tools still need batteries, which end up in landfills and leach toxic chemicals into the ground. Stop the cycle by making the switch to rechargeable batteries. They'll save you money, reduce your waste, and make a huge difference.

2. A solar-powered calculator. Why use batteries at all if you can choose a device that doesn't need them?

3. A solar-powered charger. For the devices that don't take your conventional AA batteries, try picking up a solar charger. You can use the device to charge your cell phone, MP3 player and other portable devices. Several are on the market, with prices starting under $100.

4. Solar-powered LED flashlights. These great new devices use both solar cells for power and low-energy LED bulbs to provide bright light. I picked one up at my local drug store last week for 15 bucks, and it's the best buy I've made in a long time.

5. An ENERGY STAR-qualified fill-in-the-blank. Just about any appliance you want to buy comes in two flavors: an energy hog, and an energy-efficient version. Look for that ENERGY STAR logo whenever you buy an appliance or piece of electronics. You'll use at least 25% less energy, which will save you plenty of green.

What other green devices do you think everyone should embrace? Post your ideas here.

Make Beautiful Music with Eco-Friendly Audio Systems

jplatt — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:25:22 -0400

Love music? Love the environment? Then let's talk about this year's greenest audio devices.

Like all electronics, audio systems can contain all kinds of toxic materials. They aren't always easily recyclable, and they often come with too much packaging. They also tend to use a lot of power, a critical concern when we're trying to make things more energy efficient.

To help make sure you're choosing the greenest audio components, MetaEfficient has named the Greenest Audio Systems of 2008. Winners include the Pure iPod dock, the Samsung SWA-4000 Wireless Rear Stereo Amplifier, and the Panasonic SC-PT650 home theater system. Several brands of speakers and receivers are also rated.

All of these devices ranked well on energy efficiency, and often use eco-friendly manufacturing processes.

There are other ways you can "green" your music. You can buy any number of solar chargers to keep your MP3 players juiced up. Buying music digitally can also be green, since it doesn't involve any manufacturing or shipping.

Got other ways you keep your tunes eco-friendly? Post 'em here!

Can You Write a Cell-Phone Program That Will Save the World?

jplatt — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0400

Every generation of cell phones gets smarter, more powerful, and capable of connecting us in new and different ways. In fact, some mobile phones are so powerful they aren't even called "cell phones" anymore -- they're "smart phones."

And as Stan Lee famously said, "with great power comes great responsibility."

Nokia and inventor Dean Kamen (creator of the Segway) have teamed up to fund a contest to find the next big thing in mobile programs (called applications), with one of the categories specifically calling for eco-related apps. Winners get a $25,000 prize for the creating best new mobile applications “that enhance the use of mobile devices in real-world scenarios.”

Here are the three categories:

Eco-Challenge - "Make a Difference": Developers who submit for this category will be building tools to help people take care of the environment - from charger reminders to mobile learning applications, from navigation info to recycling tips.

Emerging Markets - "IMAGINE the Possibilities": The mission of the Emerging Markets Challenge is to open up new opportunities for developers to pioneer & monetize services impacting the daily lives of millions in developing nations. Examples include applications providing health information and data access, apps offering low-cost infotainment, SMS-driven apps that inform rural agricultural workers of the best time and place to bring products to market, as well as literacy and general education solutions.

Technology Showcase - "Developer Showdown": Open to all technologies, if it runs on S60 or Series 40, then we want to see it! Regardless if it has just been created or you have been selling it for a while, casual or commercial, we want to showcase the best of the best. Be it on Flash Lite, Java, Python, or open source. If it’s a game, enterprise solution, Web-based widget, or just a cool application that will enhance the mobile user experience, then this is the category to enter.

What do you think mobile applications can do to help make the world a better place? And can you write the next great mobile app? If so, Nokia and Dean Kamen are waiting to hear from you.

Entries are due December 15th.

Calculate Your 'Water Footprint'

jplatt — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:09:44 -0400

Do you or any of your family members spend too much time in the shower? Are your toilets designed to save water? How about your faucets, are they installed with conservation in mind? How about your lawn...

Okay, let's just get to the real questions: How much water do you use on a daily basis? And how much can you conserve?

A group called H2O Conserve wants to help you answer those questions. Their new online water calculator not takes you through your direct water usage, but the water used to produce your food and other goods, to come up with what they call your Water Footprint.

It's this later side that many people don't think about. Says H2O Conserve: "Your water footprint includes other factors such as water utilized to cool power plants that provide your electricity, and water saved when you recycle. You may not drink, feel or see this water, but it makes up the great majority of your water footprint."

The water calculator is great fun, and takes about 5 minutes or less. When you're done, the site will present not only your water footprint (mine came up at over 1,000 gallons per day!), but what you can do to reduce it. The site contains dozens of great tips, any one of which can save you tens of gallons every single day.

Give it a try. You might be shocked by what you come up with.

Grand Theft Solar

jplatt — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:10:42 -0400

I guess oil prices are really getting to people. Some folks are so desperate to get out from under the finger of the energy companies, they are resorting to stealing solar panels. In fact, solar-panel thefts are dramatically on the rise, as the expensive components become prime targets for well-trained thieves.

It makes sense, if you think about it. A solar-panel array can cost tens of thousands of dollars. I'm willing to be there's already a huge black market opening up for selling "hot" solar cells, and that's only going to increase as solar gets more and more popular.

If you've got solar cells already, it might be time to look into extra security for your house, such as motion-detector lights. Or maybe we should start installing LoJack on our solar cells.

Actually, this could be a very good business opportunity for someone: develop a security system to protect solar cells for people and companies. New technologies always open up new markets for industrious people, why should criminals be the only ones to benefit?

New Rechargeable Battery Plugs Into Your Computer

jplatt — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0400

Have you already made the switch to recycleable batteries? Good, we knew that you did. We were just checking.

But here's another question: are you getting tired of carrying a battery charger with you when you travel, or searching for your charger when you need it every few months?

Moixa Energy has a solution. Their new USBCELL rechargeable batteries come with what you might call a pop top -- one end of the battery swivels off to reveal a USB plug. Just hook it into any USB port on a PC or laptop and your computer does the work of recharging the battery!

According to a recent article at GreentechMedia, there is a small cost to pay for this convenience: the USB plug takes up space that would normally hold power. As a result, the USBCELL holds 1300-1500 milliamp hours, as opposed to the 2500 in a regular nickel metal hydride battery.

Oh, one other possible inconvenience: USBCELL comes with a bit of software that could, depending on how it is configured by the manufacturer, pop up ads or energy-saving tips on your PC every time you plug the battery in.

So far, Moixa's batteries are only available in AA size. They ship from the UK, and run £10.99 for a set of 2 batteries (with delivery, that translates to $20). You can also get a "gift set" of 20 batteries for about $165.

Green Your Workspace with New Online Tool

jplatt — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0400

One of my core beliefs is that one person can make a difference. That's true at home, in the community, at play or at work.

Speaking of work, the EPA's ENERGY STAR program has launched a great new website called Energy Star @ Work. It offers any employee, executive, building manager or small business the tools and information they need to make their office and workplace greener and more energy efficient.

Some of the recommendations are nothing new -- use CFL bulbs, for example -- and others are obvious choices for the sponsor of the site -- buy ENERGY STAR qualified monitors. But the site is full of all kinds of other ideas that look at everything from heating and cooling and reducing waste to setting up "green teams" at work.

One of the site's highlights is an interactive tour of the average office, which offers some unexpected ways to save energy.

Check out the Energy Star @ Work site at http://www.energystar.gov/work. It's worth a look, and it could help you make a difference.