 Concepts for Sustainable
Living
The following are not
products, but rather are concepts and ideas for living sustainably in
today’s world.
Energy
Efficient Shower – An enclosed shower to
reduce hot water use and control moisture problems.
The
Sleep Genie – A self-contained sleeping
compartment that can be heated or cooled efficiently for a comfortable
night’s sleep. (Published in Solar Today, Mar/Apr 2002)
Batteryless,
Environmentally Friendly Car/Truck – Concept
for driving your vehicle without a starting battery. (Published in
Popular Science and Popular Mechanics)
A Solar
Powered Vaccine Storage Refrigerator that can be Powered by a Single
Truck Battery – Provides useful information
for sizing photovoltaic systems in the tropics. Looking at three of the
cloudiest locations in Africa and South America, it is concluded that
if the system is sized so that only 3 hours of sunlight are required to
power the system, only 1 day of battery storage is necessary to keep
the system running. (Presented at the American Solar Energy Society’s
Solar99 Conference in Portland, Maine, June 1999)
Using
Cold Weather to Passively Assist Refrigeration – A concept for saving energy on refrigeration during the winter.
Rebate
System for Gas and Electric - conserves energy
at minimum cost.
Straw Bale R
Values - Published R values for straw bales
vary, an explanation is given.
The
Value of Energy Efficiency in Stand Alone PV Systems: A Simple Approach - Describes the cost savings in a photovoltaic system
when using energy efficient appliances. If you can reduce your energy
consumption 1 KWH per day for less than a $5000 investment, you are
financially better off conserving energy rather than generating more
power.
Links for more information on
appropriate technology and sustainable living:
Organizations
American
Solar Energy Society
http://www.ases.org/
Biocycle
Journal of Composting and Organics Recycling
http://www.jgpress.com/biocycle.htm
Bioneers
– Visionary and Practical Solutions for Restoring the Earth
http://www.bioneers.org/
Campus
Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) – Humboldt
State University
http://www.ccathsu.com/
The
Midwest Renewable Energy Association
http://www.the-mrea.org/
National
Renewable Energy Laboratory
http://www.nrel.gov/
The
Northcoast Environmental Center
http://yournec.org/
Northeast
Sustainable Energy Association
http://www.nesea.org/
Rocky
Mountain Institute
http://www.rmi.org/
Schatz
Energy Research Center – Promoting the use of Clean and
Renewable Energy
http://www.schatzlab.org/
Smart
Communities Network – Creating Energy Smart Communities
http://www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/
Solar
Energy International – Renewable Energy for a
Sustainable Future
http://www.solarenergy.org/
The
Solar Living Institute
http://www.solarliving.org/
Conferences and Fairs
Bioneers
Conference
http://conference.bioneersgroup.com/
Greenbuild
International Conference and Expo
http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/
Midwest
Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair
http://www.the-mrea.org/energy_fair.php
National
Solar Energy Conference
http://ases.org/conference/
Oregon
Solwest Renewable Energy Fair
http://www.solwest.org/
Oregon
Country Fair
http://www.oregoncountryfair.org/
Renewable
Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair
http://www.theroundup.org/
Solar
Decathlon
http://www.solardecathlon.gov/
SolFest
http://www.solfest.org/index.html
Sustainable
Resources – University of Colorado
http://www.sustainableresources.org/
Whole
Earth Festival
http://wef.ucdavis.edu/
|
