Let there be LIGHT!...Light research or solar research that is...MIT has a new research center called the Eni-MIT Solar Frontiers Center where 21 faculty members are working to bring us clean energy sources that are affordable! The goal of the center is to "fundamentally transform how the world produces and consumes energy", which in my humble opinion is long overdue. Any chance for clean energy that reduces our use of fossil fuels while meeting the energy demands, protects the planet from further degradation and climate change, AND is affordable is a no-brainer, a win-win, and much needed!
The Center is being funded largely by the Italian energy company Eni. Eni's chief executive Paolo Scaroni has invested because current technology is too inefficient and expensive, and his company is looking to the future. The MIT Center's scientists will work to make solar cells that are less expensive, and with materials that are more flexible. Plants will provide inspiration to the scientists, as they model their work on the way plants use photosynthesis to convert sunlight to fuel by using water to store collected sunlight and convert it to energy. Another promising engineering advancement is a parabolic solar panel inspired by the Mars rover which increases efficiency by reducing dust from settling on panels.
In addition, the Center is working on other groundbreaking technology such as light bulbs with nanoscale crystals and experimenting with solar cells on paper. Imagine if their research results in affordable solar for all, and extremely efficient bulbs? That would be solar "flare" we'd all be happy about. I can't wait to see how the "light at the end of this tunnel" turns out :)
Showing posts with label lights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lights. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Picking Low Lying Fruit
Low Lying Fruit
To quote my favorite green guru, Ed Begley Jr., we picked some "low lying fruit"! No, not the edible kind, but the kind that will save energy AND money. Our low lying fruit was the front door lights.
Every time I'd notice the front lights were ON during the day, I'd cringe. I knew we were wasting energy and money....ggrrrrr. The dawn to dusk feature on the motion sensitive front lights was not working, and we ended up leaving the lights on to ensure no one got hurt walking up to the door in the dark. But, then we'd forget to turn them off, they'd end up being on all night, and many, many times they would not get turned off at all since we don't typically go out that door.
The electric eye had been broken for some time, and we'd attempted adding a new photo-electric eye, but that didn't work, probably because of the special wiring involved with the motion sensitive part as well as the integrated electric-eye. We felt so frustrated and confused when the new eye didn't work that we decide to sleep on it before taking any more steps. But out of sight, IS out of mind and time marched on, and it didn't get fixed.
I think it was a trip to Lowes that jogged my memory about the lights, and we discussed replacing the fixture completely, and even bought one light figuring we could just replace the one, and move another from around back. Turns out the one out back also had a busted electic eye! Hmmm now we began to think that the integrated electric eye was doomed to break, and re-thought our original plan. We ultimately decided that throwing the lights into the landfill and spending money on two new lamps wasn't the best option either.
Luckily hubby, being the genius he is, was able to re-wire the existing lights to enable the new electric eye to work! So we picked the "low lying fruit", and in this situation with a broken fixture, were able to use the two new electric eyes that we thought weren't going to work in our lights, saved the two light fixtures from the landfill, and best of all, are saving electricity DAILY! I'm so lucky that hubby is such a handyman!!!!
To quote my favorite green guru, Ed Begley Jr., we picked some "low lying fruit"! No, not the edible kind, but the kind that will save energy AND money. Our low lying fruit was the front door lights.
Every time I'd notice the front lights were ON during the day, I'd cringe. I knew we were wasting energy and money....ggrrrrr. The dawn to dusk feature on the motion sensitive front lights was not working, and we ended up leaving the lights on to ensure no one got hurt walking up to the door in the dark. But, then we'd forget to turn them off, they'd end up being on all night, and many, many times they would not get turned off at all since we don't typically go out that door.
The electric eye had been broken for some time, and we'd attempted adding a new photo-electric eye, but that didn't work, probably because of the special wiring involved with the motion sensitive part as well as the integrated electric-eye. We felt so frustrated and confused when the new eye didn't work that we decide to sleep on it before taking any more steps. But out of sight, IS out of mind and time marched on, and it didn't get fixed.
I think it was a trip to Lowes that jogged my memory about the lights, and we discussed replacing the fixture completely, and even bought one light figuring we could just replace the one, and move another from around back. Turns out the one out back also had a busted electic eye! Hmmm now we began to think that the integrated electric eye was doomed to break, and re-thought our original plan. We ultimately decided that throwing the lights into the landfill and spending money on two new lamps wasn't the best option either.
Luckily hubby, being the genius he is, was able to re-wire the existing lights to enable the new electric eye to work! So we picked the "low lying fruit", and in this situation with a broken fixture, were able to use the two new electric eyes that we thought weren't going to work in our lights, saved the two light fixtures from the landfill, and best of all, are saving electricity DAILY! I'm so lucky that hubby is such a handyman!!!!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Earth Hour - Saturday, March 27th, 8:30-9:30pm
Mark your calendar for this Saturday, March 27th, 2010, from 8:30-9:30 pm, it's Earth Hour!
Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million homes and businesses turning off their lights for one hour as a “vote” FOR the earth, and a “vote” AGAINST global warming. By 2009, even more people, hundreds of millions joined in to "vote". The Sydney Opera House, Rome’s Colosseum, The Eiffel Tower in Paris, The Parthenon in Greece, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Las Vegas Strip and New York City’s Times Square participated.
Earth Hour is organized by WWF; their mission is to "stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature."
Let's hope that even more people from all around the world will switch off their lights, and other items that use electricity. No matter where you live, no matter your political views, regardless of what religion you are, we all depend on our planet for life.
It's a perfect time to turn off the lights, discuss global warming and the importance of “being green” as a family, and consider taking actions to assure that we aren’t polluting our earth and overusing resources in our everyday lives. Unplug, celebrate together time, play a game, and reconnect by the light of candles. Enjoy!
Check out to www.earthhour.org
Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million homes and businesses turning off their lights for one hour as a “vote” FOR the earth, and a “vote” AGAINST global warming. By 2009, even more people, hundreds of millions joined in to "vote". The Sydney Opera House, Rome’s Colosseum, The Eiffel Tower in Paris, The Parthenon in Greece, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Las Vegas Strip and New York City’s Times Square participated.
Earth Hour is organized by WWF; their mission is to "stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature."
Let's hope that even more people from all around the world will switch off their lights, and other items that use electricity. No matter where you live, no matter your political views, regardless of what religion you are, we all depend on our planet for life.
It's a perfect time to turn off the lights, discuss global warming and the importance of “being green” as a family, and consider taking actions to assure that we aren’t polluting our earth and overusing resources in our everyday lives. Unplug, celebrate together time, play a game, and reconnect by the light of candles. Enjoy!
Check out to www.earthhour.org
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