Monday, January 12, 2009

Technological Innovations That Will Help Us Change The World

One of my favorite sites is Eazy Cheezy. My bloggy friend, Brian, puts together some of the best, most useful information ... on just about everything ... and shares it with his readers. Want to know which sites are the best for downloading music? Eazy Cheezy has a list for you. Want to know how to change the look of your blog ... add icons ... social network ... or get a job? He has it all. And here's the thing ... he researches sites and checks them out so, when you click on one of his recommended links, you do so without fear that you'll just end up on someone's spam list. Well, I got to thinking ... he covers so many interesting subjects ... and does it so well ... I wondered if he would be willing to write something for us. He very graciously accepted the invitation and gives us this great article ... full of wonderful information. A huge THANK YOU to Brian for giving us a fresh take on green living. By the way ... when you're done reading this post ... hop over to Eazy Cheezy and see what else he has to offer. I promise ... you'll be glad you did!


Technological Innovations That Will Help Us Change The World


It's 2009 and the world is starting to step up to the plate in an effort to go Green before it's too late. As we look to make a difference, technology will be a critical factor. Clean technology or "cleantech" is a new model for technology and businesses that offer both returns for investors and customers, while providing solutions to our global challenges.Cleantech uses new science to address the roots of ecological problems, while placing an emphasis on natural approaches such as in the use of biology.

Cleantech has several innovative start-ups that will look to make quite an impact on our futures. As we make changes in our daily lives, it's important for us to understand some of the options that will soon be available to us. Let's take a look into some of the best start-ups that may make an instant impact.

Sungevity provides faster, easier and more affordable Solar solutions for our homes. They educate us about solar energy, offer instant quotes & simplify purchasing by offering complete solar solutions online. The technology they use enables them to conduct a remote roof analysis without even visiting our home. This analysis determines the solar potential of our homes. Each solar system is personally designed using satellite and aerial images. Click here for the demo.
Bloo Solar develops and manufactures nano-structured ultra-thin film solar photovoltaic (PV) products, which will provide affordable and clean renewable energy. Their technology absorbs sunlight and converts it throughout the day, resulting in a dramatic increase in the total power output. Their products significantly reduce our dependence on coal, oil, gas, and nuclear power.

OptiSolar is developing one of the largest PV solar projects in the world. OptiSolar produces power directly from their large-scale solar farms. They'll use their manufacturing & innovative design to significantly reduce the cost of clean solar power. Their vision is "clean, low-cost energy from the sun - now, and for our children's future."

CarbonFlow drastically reduces the cost and time it takes to create a credit by enhancing productivity, reducing administrative cost and financial risks of managing Greenhouse Gas offset projects. They manage the delivery of certified carbon credits for buyers and sellers worldwide, utilizing theireRecord Management System. Below is a chart that displays how their eRecord Management System works.

EnergyHub gives us the ability to monitor and control our energy use, reduce our electricity consumption and ultimately save us money. They use automated systems to manage peak loads and reduce home electricity usage by up to 20%.

Silver Spring Networks partners with utility companies and uses their network to implement a smart grid. This gives us the ability to track and reduce our use of energy, gas and water.

Eden Park Illumination is a lighting technology company that researches, develops and commercializes Micro plasma lamps, which are mercury-free flat panel devices. These light-emitting sheets are thin and inexpensive. The Micro Plasma display is below.

Oree develops next generation planar LED illumination, which is the first flat, thin and highly efficient light source in the world. This enables lighting companies and black light manufacturers to useOree's light engine to increase efficiency and significantly decrease the cost of LED systems.

The companies mentioned are just a few of many innovative companies that are up and coming in cleantech. It's important to note that growth in cleantech is not limited to energy. As technological advancements are made, look for focused cleantech approaches in 2009 and beyond. Recent advancements extend to recycling, water, biomass, architecture and energy efficiency. For a glimpse into the future of cleantech, I recommend taking a look at the Web Urbanist's amazing 7 Modern Wonders of Green Technology and 15 More Future Wonders of Green Tech.

With the advancements in technology and the changes we're starting to make in our lives, the outlook for the future of our planet is bright. However, we cannot rely on technology alone as we have much work to do in our own lives and in spreading the awareness.

Again ... a big THANK YOU to Brian for that wonderful piece. And as always ... I'd love to hear from you.