The digital economy has brought uncounted positive benefits, but it has also created one major sustainability problem. What to do about the growing energy requirements of larger, more power-hungry servers and supercomputers? And what to do about the heat given off by these larger, more powerful machines and data centers that make huge
Tag:
air conditioning
Bonus Efficiency the Non-Profit Way
written by Walter Wang
When you’re a non-profit organization you have to be resourceful and make decisions that maximize your operating budget. Some of those decisions are obvious. Some take discovery. This is an example of how a not-so-obvious choice helps the Greater Twin Cities United Way make the most of their operating budget.
Hot Weather Energy Efficiency Tips
written by Walter Wang
After a mild July and most of August, the hot weather associated with this time of year will finally make an appearance this week. In fact, we could hit an all-time peak load record today, and demand at least a couple of days this week. And although we don’t expect any problems meeting this demand, we’ve taken steps to continue to provide service without
Like home heating in the winter air conditioning usage in the summer uses up a lot of energy. The difference is that while heat can come from burners and radiator systems most air-conditioning is run on electricity.
In the big picture that means that on the hottest days power plants in large urban centers generate a lot of
Custom Energy Efficiency: Hotels
written by Walter Wang
I don’t think I have ever appreciated a hotel as much as I did during a trip to Houston for a cleantech tradeshow. The humidity was off the charts and it felt like I was slowly melting into the sidewalk going to and from the show each day. But the second I stepped into that hotel, everything was perfect.
The temperature was just right- not frigid, but certainly
Everyone is seeking the elusive killer app that will revolutionize energy. Most expect it to be a high tech gadget, or new form of generation or a way to finally store mass quantities of electricity.
Not anthropologist Susan Mazur-Stommen. She’s looking in a completely different place: inside our
Before I moved, I resided in a second floor apartment that hadn’t been updated since MacGyver went off-air. It was the kind of apartment where you couldn’t operate the microwave and toaster at the same time without tripping the breaker.
The kicker, however, was the thermostat. With Angus
Debunking Energy Myths, Part II
written by Walter Wang
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Mythbuster Woman, joining you for a second installment of Debunking Energy Myths. I’ve taken a few moments out of my busy schedule of leaping tall buildings (in a single bound, of course) to answer those of you who challenged me with more myths.
Abu Dhabi is commissioning a new set of nuclear plants for the first time in 2018, that will generate 25% of its power. I find this a bit hard to understand, since it’s happening just as countries like Germany and Italy are decommissioning their nuclear power. Also, Abu
Renewable Air Conditioning
written by Walter Wang
Two of the most interesting and efficient air conditioners arriving on the market this cooling season have come to us, not from the world of mainstream air conditioner manufacturers, but from renewable energy companies.
The first of them is the SplitCool DC18 solar air
Where do you begin with the benefits of green roofs? Over time, green roof owners, from residential to corporate, have testified to the numerous benefits they have received since installing green roofs on their homes and office buildings. Along with drastic cuts in electric and energy bills, they’ve also experienced longer-lasting
Mitsubishi and Nippon Fruehauf, a light metals manufacturer, have developed an “idling-stop” solar-powered air conditioning unit that cools the truck cabin when the engine is not running.
Called the “i-Cool Solar,” the solar–
You wouldn’t expect that energy from sunlight, which is very hot, could power air-conditioning units to cool things down. But that’s precisely the latest breakthrough from China-based Shandong Vicot Air Conditioning Co.
Debuting its solar-powered people-cooler at the 2010 World Solar-Powered Air
It sits in the middle of a harsh, barren desert, sweltering in searing heat. It has no clean water, its sea is polluted and there is no topsoil, just a covering of sand. It is also the biggest per capita consumer of fuel, massively reliant on cars, power-hungry desalination and air-conditioning. And with all this, can the United Arab Emirate state of Abu Dhabi really succeed in building a new “green city” in the Middle East?
If you can believe visionary people like architect Gerard Evenden (his words above), from the British architectural firm Foster & Partners, yes it can. Billions of dollars are riding on the assumption
Newer Posts