Entertainment Technology

Archive for the ‘Green Technology’ Category

With the threat of global warming steadily increasing, it can be expected that more and more consumers will look for eco-friendly vehicles. This demand leads to automakers struggling to come up with green technologies which would set them apart from their peers. Laws have been passed too mandating that automakers should produce environment friendly vehicles.

At the 6th International CTI Symposium in Berlin with a theme Innovative Automotive Transmissions, focus was given to the development of green or eco-friendly vehicle features and the cost it entails. Apart from that, the future of transmission technology in different parts of the world was also tackled. At eths aid event, experts have to agreement that the dual-clutch transmission will be the future of transmission technology in Europe and in the United States. Meanwhile, in India, an auto market steadily growing is expected to create a market for continuously variable transmissions.

Dr. Carsten Breitfeld, manager for transmission development at German automaker BMW pointed out the pressure on the auto industry with regards to the development of eco-friendly features. “We cannot imagine the extent of the cost pressure on the car industry at all yet,” said Breitfeld. “The development already begins to show: Add the target figures and compare them to the market data – it won’t work.”

Suppliers echo the sentiments of automakers regarding the issue. Tobias Hagenmeyer , president of Getrag Corporate Group, a known manufacturer of transmissions said: “Competition on the car market has reached a global level.” Hagenmeyer thus calls out for auto makers and auto parts manufacturers to work hand in hand to develop new green vehicle features. “We have to develop engines and transmissions in cooperation to reduce fuel consumption and emissions and to meet the economic demands.”

Today, automakers are credited with about 80 percent of transmission development. Hagenmeyer pointed out that by working together, auto parts manufacturer and automakers will be reducing costs of development. “We envision a common supplier basis, common standards. This creates cost advantages.” With companies sharing the cost of developing auto parts like transmissions, they can save a lot. That is not the only advantage as they would be paired with experts on the field which means there is a bigger chance that they will produce better transmission technologies. This approach can also be taken regarding development of other auto components such as a Subaru coupe sedan radiator. Hopefully for the auto industry, the symposium will give them the spark that they need.

There are as many definitions of  “green” as there are shades of color. Wikipedia defines a green building, also known as a sustainable building as “ a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner.”

Dade County Florida’s Website reads that, “Sustainable building practices go beyond energy and water conservation to incorporate environmentally sensitive site planning, resource efficient building materials and superior indoor environmental quality.” The website lists five key benefits of sustainable construction that seems to concisely capture the “spirit” of the green building concept.

- Lower electric and water utility costs

- Environmentally effective use of building materials

- Enhanced health and productivity

- Long-term economic returns

- Reduced environmental impact

The need to reduce costs associated with energy production and  importing building materials,  the importance of conserving water and natural resources and minimizing environmental impact are challenges that are even more paramount within our island communities. Green  initiatives provide excellent benefits but carry a pricetag asociated with implementation. We’ve looked at the benefits and the challenges, but what are the affordable solutions?

Lower Eletric and Water Utility costs

Thin-film solar and Atmospheric Water Generation are two affordable technolgies that fit expectioannly well in the Caribbean region. With the abundance of sunshine we receive intermingled with overcast days, it is still estimated that a solar radiation of 4-5 hours per day is typical for the region. Using lighweight thin-film solar, with a capacity of an estimated 5 watts/sq ft. a typical 1,200 sq ft home could easily support a roof laminted 3,000 Watt solar power system. A system of this size would generate an estimated 12-15kWh per day.  By reducing electiical lighintg, cooling, and appliance loads to less than 4k the solar system can also be recued in size.

How do we reduce our electrical load calculations? Design and retrofit with L.E.D. Lighting,  A typical home using high efficiency L.E.D. lighting would use just under 250 Watts for the entire lighting circuit and provide equal or higher lumen output than convenienal incandescent or CFL lighting systems. Heat pump water heating technologies provide an estimates 7,000 btu output and a max water temp of 135 while using less than 800 watts nominal. Air Conditioning units using proven ductless-split DC Inverter technologies provide remote controlled zoned cooling while using as little as 1,200 watts for a 11,000btu system. Energy efficient appliances are readily available and help to reduce overall electrical loads

A very natural solution for clean water production in the Caribbean has been around since the beginning of time. Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) systems use the natural humidity in the air to produce up to 6gallons per day of pure filtered drinking water without the need for any plumbing or realated  infrastructure. Dispensing 99.9% pure water, the AWG system can be operated directly from solar power or plugs into a standard household outlet.  With a built in water heating element the units dispense hot or cold water on demand without the need for maintaining an inventory of bottled water. Production costs are estimated between $0.06 -0.14 per gallon of water.

Environmentally Effective use of Building Materials

What’s needed is a building system that can resist high winds, is versatile, structural, provides a high level of insulation, minimim waste and is affordable. Concrete Structural Insulated Panels (CSIP) provide an excellent alternative to conventional concrete block construction in the Caribbean. Proven and accepted throughout the United States, CSIP’s are pre-designed, pre-cut, professionally engineered, insulated, provide a strucural frame and exterior and interior concrete fire resistant surfaces for finishing. These lighweight concrete panels are produced by manufacturers that are members of the Unites States Green Building Council (USGBC) such as T.Clear Corp of Hamilton  Ohio. Their ProTec® CSIP building system  provides less skilled labor, reduces wall construction time to a matter days verses months and is competitively afforadble when compared to block or conventioanl construction techniques. The company literature states the panels are “framing, sheathing, insulation and interior wall surface all in one. This equates to building more homes in les time with fewer associated costs and waste.

Enhanced Health and Productivity

Clean water, fresh air, low VOC and no off-gasing products should be the benchmark for homes built under the “green” design concept. Energy conservation and eco-friendly homes do not happen by accident, it takes planning and design guidelines to ensure homes provide comfort, style and are also affordable. Choosing off the shelf products that are eco-friendly minimize costs and help descrease the time required to source specialized products that add time and expense to the construction process. Despite the misconception, “green homes” can be stylish, affordable and built on a reduced timeline.

The Protec® Building System is currently used by HDC Development Corp  within the Bahamas to build as it describes, “Net Zero Energy Homes”. Recently receing apporavel from The Bahamas Ministry of Works, the Protec Building System®  is meticuoslesy engineered to design loads of up to 150 mile per winds. According to the information from the company’s website, these “Net Zero Energy Homes” gerernate more energy than they consume, have minimal environmental impact, resist high winds and are very compatiable to developers seeking higher construction productivity rates.

Long-term Economic Returns

Unfortunately, when green initiatives are initially introduced into some regions for the first time, typically there exists an entense amount of resistance  as traditional stakeholders, with  entrenched concepts and methods are challenged by the new technology. However, for the greater good of the entire Caribbean  region, traditional beauracratis “red tape” needs to be pierced so that a new generation may benefit from the advances in proven  technology and ensure our regions continued success in the renewable energy amd sustainable development sectors.

Openminded acceptance of proven “green technologies” will bring investment, trainig, jobs and prosperity to the Caribbean region. The region is ideal to capture the full potential of clean solar and wind power generation. Long-term economic growth is the fruit that’s harvested when we plant the seeds of green initiavtes today.

Reduced environmental impact

Waste reduction, resource conservation and matinainting pure water inventories are important issues that face any region, but even more so here in the Caribbean islands. As our population grow so does the need to pay more strict attention to the subject of  waste management and recycling. Education and acceptance of recycling is the key. Conservation is an adopted lifestyle and the population must see it as a benefit in order to embrace it. Tangible incentives such as reductions in Waste Collection rates for househgolds that recycle, reduced utility rates for homes with  Solar  or wind Power Generation systems and reduced municipal water rates for households with Atmospheric Water Generators would go a long way to helping the large public adopt and embrace “going green”. 

Lets hope the islands of the Caribbean region can by careful and wise use of our startegic natural  resources become the worldwide leader in the adoption and implemntation of proven green technologies. It is clear we have the most to gain and success will equate to increased toursim, investment, training, jobs
and prosperity for our region.

If cleaning is your business, you know that you need quality cleaning service supplies in order to do the best job possible. You also know that doing a good job on a consistent basis is the main way of ensuring the productivity of your business. Satisfied customers are repeat customers; and satisfied customers are also likely to spread the word and generate even more business for you. When you add all of these factors together, you see why selecting top-notch cleaning service supplies is essential for your business.

Although there are a number of different types of cleaning service supplies that will be a great help for your business, one which you should consider first and foremost is Eco-Green ®. Eco-Green ® is the best cleaning asset your cleaning service can have, as it provides many benefits with no drawbacks.

You may wonder what could possibly be so great about green cleaning service supplies. There are a number of reasons why Eco-Green ® products are all that they claim to be and more. First, Eco-Green ® cleaning service supplies are the most thorough cleaning agents that money can buy. These products will do an amazing job on every cleaning task that you may have. They will get rid of all kinds of dirt, soil, grease; even chewing gum is no match for the cleaning power of Eco-Green ® chewing gum cleaning service supplies! But while this in itself is certainly a good reason to purchase Eco-Green ® products, their cleaning abilities do not stop there. Eco-Green ® products will cut your cleaning time considerably; because in addition to being thorough, these cleaning service supplies clean without leaving any soapy residue or messes for you to clean up afterwards.

Second, Eco-Green ® products have numerous safety factors which make it clear that these are first-rate cleaning service supplies. One may assume that products designed to work so well on heavy-duty cleaning chores must be made of dangerous substances and toxins; however, Eco-Green ® products are derived entirely from all-natural substances.

The first element of Eco-Green ® products’ safety is that they will not damage any surface in any way while still cleaning thoroughly. Eco-Green ® cleaning service supplies are non-toxic, non-caustic, and non-abrasive; making them equally suitable for nearly every task imaginable, from bathroom tile to stoves. Some of our formulas are even safe for fabric.

The next safety factor is that of Eco-Green ® cleaning service supplies’ formula being free of any hazardous chemicals, making them completely safe for users. In your cleaning service, you can perform cleaning tasks all day, yet have no ill effects from using Eco-Green ®’s safe formula. Its specially designed solution will not be bothersome to your skin or your eyes. There are no harmful fumes in Eco-Green ®. And, if there are spills, they will not damage your clothing.

Most importantly, as environmentally-friendly, “green cleaning” cleaning service supplies, Eco-Green ® products present no threat to the natural environment. Meeting the standards of both the EPA and OSHA, Eco-Green ® products are safe for the land, air, and waterways, and will not damage the ozone. Being certified readily biodegradable, Eco-Green ® products can be easily disposed of without concern of risk to the environment.

Eco-Green ® is the first product you should put on your list of cleaning service supplies!

We encourage you to review and compare our line of products, and urge you to call us and ask to speak with a Product Specialist if you have any questions or need guidance. Providing you with the best product for your application is our goal!