Sustainable Technologies
Sustainable technologies work to reduce waste while maintaining efficiency. Learn about new ways to reduce your environmental impact in this section.
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If you've ever used a solar-powered calculator, you've experienced the power of thin-film solar cells. But can spray-on solar panels take that technology one step further?
When you get that gas or electric bill at the end of the month, you may swear off long, hot showers. But if your resolution always seems to cool after a few days, you might be a good candidate for a solar water heater.
Imagine finishing off a nice cup of morning coffee and then, instead of throwing the grounds into the trash, pouring them into a cartridge where they become printer ink.
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LED light bulbs have taken over the market. But what are their pros and cons?
Solar air conditioners take advantage of the sun at its brightest and use its energy to cool you during the hottest part of the day. What are we waiting for?
If you turn off the lights in your computer room, you'll probably see the glowing eyes of vampire electronics peering back at you. A smart power strip can help you cut down on how much energy they waste.
While you shouldn't expect to find a "flying electric" option at the airport anytime soon, electrically powered aircraft not only exist, but the technology continues to evolve at an encouraging rate.
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The Duke Smart Home isn't your typical residence hall. It's a live-in laboratory, complete with LEED Platinum certification. What's inside (and out) that makes it so special?
Ever wish the lawn would just mow itself? Well, the Husqvarna Automower is about as close as you'll get to that dream -- with the added bonus of using the sun for power.
A little friendly competition never hurts to stir up motivation, right? That's the idea behind Tweet-A-Watt, a power-monitoring gadget that connects your power usage to your Twitter account.
From toothbrushes to iPhones, we fill our lives with a seemingly unending string of gizmos -- all of which depend on electricity to give us what we need to make it through the day. What if you could generate that power?
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The world flushes up to 20 percent of its drinking water down various drains. That's a lot of water going to waste. Waterless toilets could squelch the squandering.
Left unchecked, friction between the moving parts of an engine would turn it into an inert piece of sculpture. Clean, filtered oil keeps the parts moving with relatively little resistance.
Solar energy is abundant and infinitely renewable. Therefore, it's not surprising to see the proliferation of devices that rely on the sun -- especially solar aircraft.
There are seven different numbers you might see on a plastic container. And each number has its own meaning.
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Imagine a different kind of light bulb, one that lasted as long as a fluorescent bulb, but without the buzz, as energy-efficient as a CFL but with a more pleasing light. Meet the FIPEL bulb.
While green roofs make sense in a lot of ways, requiring their installation isn't as simple as it might seem.
Urine is so much more valuable than we think. Soon, we might be building houses with pee bricks.
While plastic such as Styrofoam may be cheap and convenient to use, it contributes to costly health issues and is an inconvenient pollutant that takes up to 500 years to biodegrade.
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收集雾气已经以某种形式since ancient times, but scientists have been refining the method so people living in some of the most arid climates can have water.
Wine pomace — the portion of grapes left over from winemaking — has a variety of uses, from fertilizer to a nutrition-enhancing ingredient in foods.
The Northeast Blackout of 2003 left millions without power and cost approximately $6 billion. Experts believe we can avoid future blackouts by storing energy along the U.S. electric grid.
Why would Los Angeles and Pittsburgh set out to convert a combined 180,000 traditional high-pressure sodium and mercury-vapor street lamps to LED lighting?
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Did you ever make a potato clock as a kid? If so, you already understand the basic principles that make a soil lamp work.
A 10-minute shower can seem like nothing on a cold, sleepy morning, but it might cost you 50 gallons of water (or more). Is there a way to limit the volume of water you use?