“A lot has changed in the intervening 37 years [since President Carter installed solar panels on the White House]: Solar costs have dropped so much that today it’s possible to generate all or most of a home’s electricity — for decades to come — for about the purchase price of a new economy car. Solar installations have increased dramatically. And President Obama has installed new panels on the White House roof.
Mechanical
Biomimicry: The Lily Impeller
From time to time we post stories about appropriate technology that changes people’s lives. The Lily Impeller is an amazing example of biomimicry that shows the power of working with nature. Biomimicry related research is leading to an array of appropriate technologies and now hundreds of products like the Lily Impeller are entering the market.
How a New Source of Water is Helping Reduce Conflict
“We are standing above the new Sorek desalination plant, the largest reverse-osmosis desalination facility in the world, and we are staring at Israel’s salvation. Just a few years ago, in the depths of its worst drought in at least 900 years, Israel was running out of water. Now it has a surplus. That remarkable turnaround was accomplished through national campaigns to conserve and reuse Israel’s meager water resources, but the biggest impact came from a new wave of desalination plants.
IceWind Wind Turbines
This new wind generator looks very promising for natural builders, homesteaders and off gridders in harsh environments.
Solar Coffin Air Heater
“I visited a friend’s house with a unique take on solar air heating. He coins his invention the Solar Coffin. This device heats air up to well over 100 degrees C within the “coffin” unit. The air is then moved under the slab of his house which stores the solar energy for release during the winter. This system is based on a system called annualized geo-solar developed in the US as a strategy to get off the heating grid.”
Solar Action Alliance
“We, Solar Action Alliance, are a group of environmentalists who want to spread the word about the most clean, reliable, and abundant source of renewable energy: the sun.