A fun new technology that harvests power from a small generator embedded in the sole of your shoe has been developed by Dr. Ville Kaajakari at Louisiana Tech University (LTU).
The technology cannot power your house (yet), but it can be used for a range of useful purposes.
“This technology could benefit, for example, hikers that need emergency location devices or beacons,” said Kaajakari. “For more general use, you can use it to power portable devices without wasteful batteries.”
Kaajakari’s breakthrough technology uses a low-cost polymer transducer with metalized surfaces for electrical contact. Conventionally, ceramic transducers would be used, but given that they might not be comfortable or durable in the sole of your shoe, Kaajakari went with this soft and robust alternative that matches the properties of regular shoe fillings. Rather than putting a heel shock absorber in, this is put in and will supposedly create the same user experience (in other words, you wouldn’t notice the difference).
“Kaajakari’s innovative technology, developed at Louisiana Tech’s Institute for Micromanufacturing (IfM), is based on new voltage regulation circuits that efficiently convert a piezoelectric charge into usable voltage for charging batteries or for directly powering electronics,” LTU reports.
Currently, the technology could not generate enough power to power very energy-intensive equipment, but eventually, in addition to being able to power sensors, GPS units or portable devices that don’t require a large amount of energy, Kaajakari hopes the technology will be able to create enough energy to power or charge common portable devices like cell phones.
If you keep up with clean tech news like this, you’ve probably seen this sort of “piezoelectric energy generation” thing before. So, why aren’t such technologies on the market yet? Well, piezoelectric energy generation doesn’t seem to be worth what it takes to make it happen in many cases. Dr. Kaajakari’s breakthrough technology is being featured in MEMS Investor Journal, a national online industry publication that informs investment professionals about latest developments in the micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) industry, so perhaps some investors will see it and help it to move into a more prolific place.
Written by Zachary Shahan
Published on April 29th, 2010Posted in Clean Energy, Consumer Technology
Saverio Manzo
saveriomanzo.com
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Considering Renewable Energy for your Home?
According to the Energy Savings, one third of people would pay more for a home that had been fitted with a renewable energy source such as wind, solar or geothermal power.
Half also want to know if their home is suitable for renewable energy, so the interest in sustainable forms of energy is definitely increasing.
But the research also reveals that around half of respondents are put off investing in renewable energy such as solar panels and wind turbines, because of the upfront cost of installing them.
That’s understandable; installing a solar water heating system, costs between $4,000 and $6,000, while a solar electricity system costs between $12,000 and $18,000.These can save you around $100 and $500 per year respectively, so payback is a long time.
However, recently the technological advancements of silica-based solar panels are being produced for less and less each year. Its just a matter of time when the installation costs of a solar-powered home-based system become cost-effective.
I guess for the moment, you don’t invest in a renewable energy system as a financial move; you do it because you want self sufficiency or you feel it is the right thing to do.
There are a few upsides to implementing renewable technology for your home; one is that there is now the option of selling back any excess electricity you produce to the grid for cash. In addition, the Energy Savings has a range of grants for converting to most renewable energy, and, don’t forget: the resale value of your home will be higher!
It’s worth checking out Government provincial and federal rebates and grants to see if you’re eligible for financial help with installing renewable energies. If the cost is still too much for you, then keep an eye on our Blog – we’ll be sharing tons of tips on going green on a budget. We plan to have heaps of ideas for more eco friendly living which are frugal too!
Saverio Manzo
saveriomanzo.com
Half also want to know if their home is suitable for renewable energy, so the interest in sustainable forms of energy is definitely increasing.
But the research also reveals that around half of respondents are put off investing in renewable energy such as solar panels and wind turbines, because of the upfront cost of installing them.
That’s understandable; installing a solar water heating system, costs between $4,000 and $6,000, while a solar electricity system costs between $12,000 and $18,000.These can save you around $100 and $500 per year respectively, so payback is a long time.
However, recently the technological advancements of silica-based solar panels are being produced for less and less each year. Its just a matter of time when the installation costs of a solar-powered home-based system become cost-effective.
I guess for the moment, you don’t invest in a renewable energy system as a financial move; you do it because you want self sufficiency or you feel it is the right thing to do.
There are a few upsides to implementing renewable technology for your home; one is that there is now the option of selling back any excess electricity you produce to the grid for cash. In addition, the Energy Savings has a range of grants for converting to most renewable energy, and, don’t forget: the resale value of your home will be higher!
It’s worth checking out Government provincial and federal rebates and grants to see if you’re eligible for financial help with installing renewable energies. If the cost is still too much for you, then keep an eye on our Blog – we’ll be sharing tons of tips on going green on a budget. We plan to have heaps of ideas for more eco friendly living which are frugal too!
Saverio Manzo
saveriomanzo.com
Monday, April 26, 2010
Just how "green" are you?
How eco-friendly are you?
As I start this wonderful Blog I thought it would be good to know just how green, eco-friendly I am. So I found this test by National Geographic that asks a few simple questions, such as:
- some questions about your opinions about the environment
- some questions about food you may or may not consume
- some questions about your household and how you live within your home
- some questions about transportation and how you get around
Pretty fascinating results for me personally - see just how you fair and what you can to to improve your score.
Cut and paste the following link to your browser:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/greendex/calculator.html
Saverio Manzo
As I start this wonderful Blog I thought it would be good to know just how green, eco-friendly I am. So I found this test by National Geographic that asks a few simple questions, such as:
- some questions about your opinions about the environment
- some questions about food you may or may not consume
- some questions about your household and how you live within your home
- some questions about transportation and how you get around
Pretty fascinating results for me personally - see just how you fair and what you can to to improve your score.
Cut and paste the following link to your browser:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/greendex/calculator.html
Saverio Manzo
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