You will think again about how large corporations operate and how you the customer have the decision to use them or seek a more friendly independent business to fulfill your needs.

FREE MOVIE DOWNLOAD – YES MEN FIX THE WORLD

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PART 1

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PART 2

This is a great example of how to build a small wind turbine in you kitchen using recycled parts for a science class experiment. If you arnt technically minded its very simple to do and will give you good results and satisfaction to impress your friends with what you’ve made.

There are many more videos out there and I will be adding them over the next few weeks so keep your eyes open for more guids and hints.

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Having looked into E.ON and its work towards our future supplies of energy the company seems to be getting as many people involved as possible and the Solargizmo team would highly recommend a visit to the official site www.eontalkingenergy.com on a previous blog we wrote about Renewable Energy – Who Should Be In Control? The web link provided will provide a few good answers to this question. Please visit the site and get involved, remember everyone has an opinion on the subject and by talking out these views we can make big steps in solving the energy crisis and save the planet but if you dont talk about it your opinion is wasted.

1- Always ensure that if you see a water leak from a mains supply you report it to the local water authority straight away. You would be amazed to find out how many people see something like this and don’t report it thinking “it’s not my problem”. A mains leak can loose gallons of fresh water every minute it’s left to leak and your local water authority will provide a free phone number for you so it won’t even cost you to call. This number will be provided in your local yellow pages or emergency contact details n the nearest phone box.

2- Don’t leave taps running when brushing your teeth or cleaning. This is just a total waste of water; the water you paid for is literally going down the drain. If you turn the tap off when not in use you can save up to 10 litres a minute of perfectly good water. Dripping taps also offer another waste of water, always ensure you repair a leaking tap before the problem becomes too serious and this saves time, money and water.

3- Wash the car with a bucket of water and not the hose pipe. The bucket will contain enough water for you to make you car shine and the amount of water saved will be in the gallons. How many people do you see in the summer with a running hosepipe in one hand, sponge in the other just talking to the neighbor with the water hitting the ground being wasted?

4- Have a shower not a bath. This hint has been used in hundreds of guides but earns its place in this one because of pure practicality and common sense.

5- Collect rain water in a butt or container for use in the garden. Rain water is pure and readily available here in the UK so no excuses for not doing it really.

6- Have an empty pop bottle full of tap water in the fridge ready for when you need a drink. This save running the tap for a while till cold water arrives.

7- Use an old brick or something similar in your toilet system, this will save large amounts of water and still give the same result. Remember the toilet is one of the most used items in the house.

8- Use you washing machine or dishwasher when you have a full load instead of each occasion you want something cleaned. Not only does this save water but results in a lot less associated cleaning products being flushed down the drain.

9- Turn the temperature of you household boiler down. This saves money and water because of the following reason. Have you ever wondered why the water is the temperature it is? you have to pay to heat the water up then use more water and cost to cool it down to a usable temperature. For example the bath, you fill it with hot water then top up with cold to cool it down so you can get in it? Just reduce the boiler to a more user friendly temperature.

10- As with the carbon emitions guide, speak to as may people as possible about what they are doing to save water and you will find more great ideas and people willing to give it a go themselves. Individually we cannot do a great deal but everyone working together can make a huge impact on the water consumption in each country. Just remember that living in the UK the worst we need to consider is a water shortage and hose pipe ban. Some people in the world die of thirst.

Power companies gain millions in investment money for renewable energy and spend it on what? the UK renewable market is still less then 15% of total resources yet many companies show renewable energy options on advertising campaigns when they are unable to provide for current demands. They seem to be taking millions of pounds of tax payers money and spending it as free advertising for themselves rather than providing renewable energy as the money was intended.

I would like to see the investment money removed from power companies and invested in projects that will actually generate renewable energy or develop products that will enable others to develop renewable energy sources. I just cant understand why the government keeps giving money to dominant companies who provide us with nothing. Please leave your comments on this question and enable the community to discuss further as i believe there are some interesting issues which need to be addressed.

Bloom energy is based in California (USA) and is making a big name for themselves in the world of fuel cells. Not only do they boast a product that is capable of providing electricity on a renewable basis 24/7 but the list of clients is just as impressive with Google, Staples and Ebay to name just a few.

The fuel cell is a means of providing clean and cheap energy by combining oxygen and natural gas to create electricity without the need for burning fuel of any sort. This means the fuel cell is possibly the most renewable and environmentally friendly source of electricity available today. The bloom box takes up no more space than the average car parking spot and can provide enough electricity for both domestic and business purposes. The Bloom box has seen a lot of publicity and represents many hours and millions of dollars in research, this time and costing/investments involved has produced something which could possibly rival the current mains supply which is the source of much debate (and pollution). The Bloom box is currently supplying companies like Ebay and google with there total electric requirements in America which proves the Bloombox  to be both practical affordable and delivering on its promises. For more information please visit the official company website on the following web link.

http://www.bloomenergy.com/

The application enables the computer to automatically optimize the computers settings to be more efficient with the electricity it consumes and conforms to EPA standards. Not only does it show you how much electricity/energy your computer have saved but it also shows how much energy has been saved by all the users collectively. This is one free gadget capable of saving energy one computer at a time but collectively is achieving some good results in helping world wide users save energy and money. Please download and install this gadget using the below web address.

http://desktop.google.com/plugins/i/energysaver.html?hl=en

Sony have developed and released some prototype Bio-Batteries which uses glucose as the power source like nature itself. The power comes from breaking down glucose into electrical energy. The battery is a completely new technology and is very environmentally friendly due its nature but is a long way from mainstream release. The information available is sketchy and basic but Sony is hoping to develop this technology to enable users to change the way that devices are powered in the future.

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Information taken from official sony website: http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/200708/07-074E/index.html

Key achievements of this bio battery research and development

1) Technology to enhance immobilization of enzymes and mediator on the electrode

For effective glucose digestion to occur, the anode must contain a high concentration of enzymes and mediator, with their activity retained. This technology uses two polymers to attach these components to the anode. Each polymer has opposite charge so the electrostatic interaction between the two polymers effectively secures the enzymes and mediator. The ionic balance and immobilization process have been optimized for efficient electron extraction from the glucose.

2) Cathode structure for efficient oxygen absorption

Water content within the cathode is vital to ensuring optimum conditions for the efficient enzymatic reduction of oxygen. The bio battery employs porous carbon electrodes bearing the immobilized enzyme and mediator, which are partitioned using a cellophane separator. The optimization of this electrode structure and process ensures the appropriate water levels are maintained, enhancing the reactivity of the cathode.

3) Optimization of electrolytes to meet the bio battery cell structure

A phosphate buffer of approximately 0.1 M is generally used within enzymology research, however an unusually high 1.0 M concentration buffer is used in this bio battery. This is based on the discovery that such high concentration levels are effective for maintaining the activity of enzymes immobilized on the electrodes.

4) Test cell combining high-power output and compact size

The test cells of these high-power, compact bio batteries have been fabricated using these three technologies. The bio battery does not require mixing, or the convection of glucose solution or air; as it is a passive-type battery, it works simply by supplying sugar solution into the battery unit. The cubic (39 mm along each edge) cell produces 50 mW, representing the world’s highest power output among passive-type bio batteries of comparable volume. By connecting four cubic cells, it is possible to power a memory-type Walkman (NW-E407) together with a pair of passive-type speakers (no external power source). The bio battery casing is made of vegetable-based plastic (polylactate), and designed in the image of a biological cell.

Bio battery test cell specifications

·         Reference

1. Bio battery
An electricity generation device that utilizes energy sources such as carbohydrates, protein, amino acids, fat by digesting enzymes. Since 2001, Sony’s research has been supported by Professor Kenji Kano’s laboratory (formerly professor Tokuji Ikeda’s laboratory) at the Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduated School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, which specializes in bioelectrochemistry. The results presented here are based on Sony’s original technological developments, inspired by the lab’s advanced research activities.

2. 50 mW: World’s highest power output as of August 23, 2007, based on Sony research.

3. Passive-type battery
A system in which reactive substances such as glucose and oxygen are absorbed into electrodes through a process of natural diffusion. In contrast, systems in which reactive substances are supplied by force (stirring, convection) are referred to as “active-type”. In general, passive-type systems have a more simple structure suitable for miniaturization, whereas active type systems have a more complicated structure and are suited to higher power devices.

Daizi Zheng has designed a phone for Nokia which runs on liquid not the standard internal rechargeable battery as used in current phone models. The designer has constructed this unit as a client project for Nokia and it is boasting some impressive results,  it runs on most sugary drinks available in most retailers up and down the country and are more readily available to customers than plugging into the mains electricity when you need to recharge. The phone unit generates water and oxygen as the sugary liquid is turned into energy/electricity for the unit to function, this creates a sustainable and pollution free mobile phone which can be completely recycled very easily when the unit has reached the end of its life. Not only does the phone run on liquid but the designer claims that during the research its been discovered that the liquid power can make the phone function 3-4 times linger than the standard phone charge when using mains electricity. This is looking to be a major breakthrough for eco friendly mobile phones and has opened the doors for many other everyday items to be converted onto liquid fuel rather than battery.

For more information please visit the designer’s website www.daizizheng.com

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