Energy efficiency

To save energy, popping socket unplugs plugs

Here's an intriguing design concept that's been stirring the currents of the blogosphere lately: an electrical wall socket that unplugs plugs as a way of saving power.

That's right--if your toaster sits idle for too long, the "PumPing Tap" lets you know it's time to toast or get out of the slot. It detects the drop in current and fires a spring-loaded mechanism that in turn fires the toaster's plug across the kitchen (or at least onto the counter--and hopefully not into the butter dish).… Read more

LEDs power Times Square ball on New Year's Eve

LED lighting will again show off its versatility and efficiency as the light source for the ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve.

In a tradition that started in 1907, a glowing ball will drop to mark the passing into the new year in New York City. Inside the geodesic sphere now used, there are 32,256 individual LED lights behind 2,688 triangles made of Waterford crystal, according Philips, which provides the LEDs.

The aluminum ball itself, which made its debut with LEDs in 2008, is 12 feet in diameter and weighs almost 12,000 pounds. … Read more

Ford focuses on a more energy-efficient future (video)

Ford Motor has set a goal to have hybrids and electric vehicles make up 10 percent to 25 percent of its fleet by 2020.

SmartPlanet correspondent Sumi Das talked to Ford executive Dan Kapp recently about the company's alternative-fuels strategy and one of its first electric vehicles to hit the market in 2012, the Ford Focus Electric.

This video originally appeared on SmartPlanet with the headline "Ford driving into the future with energy-efficient autos."

Facebook and Greenpeace make peace on data centers

After hammering Facebook to shift away from coal, Greenpeace can now claim an ally in the social network.

The two today announced a collaboration to promote renewable energy on the grid and improve energy efficiency in data centers.

In a joint statement (PDF), Facebook agreed to create a data center policy that "states a preference for access to clean and renewable energy supply," continue research on data center efficiency, and urge utilities to increase the amount of clean energy used for Facebook's operations.

Greenpeace will actively support the Facebook-founded Open Compute Project to share energy-efficient data center … Read more

Self-shading smart window runs on sunlight

RavenBrick is developing a window that knows when it's hot enough for shade.

The Denver-based company has been working on a window coating that creates a heat-blocking tint triggered by the outdoor temperature. The company is in the process of raising $3 million in venture capital with plans to build a factory that will start operating in about a year, according to co-founder and President Wil McCarthy.

One of the trends in building design is to use large windows to bring in daylight, which creates a pleasing workspace and lowers the need for artificial lighting. One of the challenges … Read more

Startup puts buildings on energy diet

When it comes to sizing up how efficient a building is, a lot of data and analytical software can be quicker than people.

Retroficiency is one of many startups developing software tools for making commercial buildings more energy-efficient. The Boston-based company today announced that it has raised $3.32 million in a series A round of funding from Point Judith Capital to build up its software and sales. It also acquired Clean Energy Solutions, the commercial efficiency operation of renewable energy project developer Nexamp.

Commercial real estate is a large consumer, and often waster, of energy. The return on investment … Read more

Philips Bio-light creates mood lighting with bacteria

In 2012, 100-watt incandescent bulbs will be a thing of the past, but fear not, as there's some great energy-efficient lightbulb tech to illuminate the way. It ranges from compact fluorescent lights to LEDs to halogen bulbs, and, if Philips has anything to do with it, bacteria-powered lights.

As part of its Microbial Home project, which also birthed the urban beehive, Philips set about designing a natural lighting system based on biological processes. The result? The Bio-light concept. … Read more

Secret to Facebook's green data center? Water misters

Facebook's state-of-the-art data center houses awesome amounts of computing power, but the biggest technical challenge has been the air handlers.

The company said today that its Prineville, Ore., data center received LEED gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The power usage effectiveness (PUE) rating varies between 1.06 and 1.1, making it a data center that consumes about half what a building simply built to code would use.

The significance of the Prineville center could go beyond lower energy bills and lower emissions for its owner, though. Facebook started the Open Compute consortium to share--and … Read more

Ocean-faring robots set sail on Guinness record attempt

SAN FRANCISCO--Four robots left the Golden Gate today on an across the globe mission to set a world distance record and demonstrate new data-gathering tools that could help save the planet.

The robots, known as Wave Gliders, were built by a Silicon Valley startup known as Liquid Robotics. And starting today, the four autonomous sea-faring craft are heading out on journeys to Australia and Japan with the intention of setting the Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled on the surface of the Earth by a robot.

The four Wave Gliders are thought to be capable of traveling across … Read more

Cutting energy use with the touch of a button (video)

Home energy management systems may finally be hitting the mainstream, thanks to lower-cost technology (think smartphones) and increased investment to develop the smart grid.

One such home energy system, from Energy Hub, was actually inspired by the Toyota Prius, according to CEO Seth Frader-Thompson. In this SmartPlanet video, Frader-Thompson explains the inspiration and offers a look at the Energy Hub device.

This video first appeared at SmartPlanet under the headline "Saving energy with a press of a button."