Greentech Media

Using light emitting diodes are a high intensity, low heat, and low power light source compared to filaments or gas. Solid state lighting is easily modifiable in color, shade, and intensity.

Green vehicles rely on a variety of power sources such as batteries, fuel cells, and biofuels. While the industry is ultimately moving towards zero emissions vehicles, plug-in hybrids and partial emissions are a necessary step along the way.

Bringing zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) to commercial scale is dependent on increasing the storage capacity of batteries while decreasing their size and weight, increasing the availability of fuel for fuel cells, and producing carbon neutral biofuels on a level equivalent to gasoline.

Expanding the grid to accept the growing variety of green power generation sources requires building and deploying better transmission equipment. Also, greening the power markets means making green power generation accessible to everyone, everywhere. This can only be accomplished through updates and enhancements to power grid equipment and infrastructure.

Technology for recycling household wastewater for reuse in washing machines, gardening, and dishwashers.

Technology for recycling wastewater from construction sites and commercial installations. This water can be reused for onsite sanitation, equipment cleaning, and high pressure water uses.

Equipment and applications designed to monitor water quality and distribution. Especially useful for systems combining treatment, purification, and desalination.

Advanced technologies for eliminating contaminants and impurities in water. Newer technologies focus on purifying water without modifying its flavor or nutritional content.

Using plants and bacteria to break down soil contaminants. An extension of this technology is used to break down contaminants in water.

Technologies and processes aimed at turning landfill and construction waste into energy--usually through syngas conversion. Some of these processes can also convert garbage into electricity.

Processes used to separate and recycle the hazardous component parts found in electronic devices.

Plastics derived from biopolymers, instead of polyethylene or polystyrene, are biodegradable in air or light, and cost less than traditional polymers. These plastics have a variety of industrial, commercial, and consumer uses.

Nanotechnology focused on the fabrication of smart materials and micronsensors. These nanodevices draw less power than conventional sensors and can be used to create pervasive monitoring networks. Green chemicals and solvents are based on molecular chemistry and organic materials used to make industrial chemicals environmentally friendly and non-corrosive.

Green building materials create energy efficiencies and conservation in the building process and in the lifetime of the building. These materials involve both building materials like cement and drywall, and living materials like windows and lighting.

Integrated mini fuel cells and direct liquid fuel cells store fuel in more compact forms, such as sodium borohydride or methanol, and are aimed at portable electronic devices.

Storing electricity as electrical energy in charged currents or magnet is the most efficient means of storing energy. There is no need for electrochemical or mechanical conversion.

SOFCs have a high operating temperature and pressure and are currently used as stationary storage devices. They can also be used to cogenerate hydrogen and electricity.

Large mechanical storage installations like flywheels and compressed air, as well as scalable flow batteries, are good options for storing electricity generated from green power sources.

Solar power derives energy from the Sun, and converts that energy into electricity using photovoltaic (PV) panels made from silicon or thin film materials.

CSP and solar thermal reflect energy from the Sun onto mirrors, which heats oil or water, and creates steam to power traditional energy turbine generators.

Wind turbines spin to convert mechanical energy from wind into electrical energy.

Ocean and geothermal power are incumbent technologies that could provide alternatives to fossil fuels for base load power generation. These technologies have zero fuel costs and zero emissions.

Clean or semi-clean technologies for providing base load power. A differentiating factor between these technologies and other green energy generation sources is the use of cost-sensitive fuel inputs.

Nanopower technology refers to both nanoscale solar power generation and to processes using nanocrystalline particles to manufacture silicon PV panels.

Intelligent devices installed in homes and businesses that monitor energy production and consumption serve both the needs of both homeowners and utilities.

Energy IT software identifies energy waste in electrical or networking systems and prescribes ways to eliminate it. More advanced software automates the waste-reduction process, and works to optimize the distribution of energy around the system.

New generations of superconductive cables and power electronics will facilitate the increased load demand and increasing variety of power sources taking advantage of the smart grid.

Integrated communication through broadband-bearing power lines will allow for real-time data transfer and efficient asset allocation, load switching, and monitoring of multiple power sources feeding into the grid.

Intelligent sensors are programmable devices that monitor and regulate the use of electricity, lighting, water, HVAC, fertilizer, and almost any other resource needed for integrated systems operations.

Vehicle integration of PV cells to provide complete power is a long way off. However, a niche consumer industry has developed to begin providing this technology as a supplement to ZEVs and PHEVs.

Retail stores provide consumers with technical training, installation support and advice, replacement parts for their distributed generation units, system maintenance, and complete systems.

Distributed generation means skipping around the utilities and power grid and generating power at the point of use. These service providers provide entire packages, including installation, pricing and payment options, ongoing systems maintenance, building permits, and site analysis.

Demand response service providers monitor consumer demand and scale up or down energy consumption depending on the load requirements of the power grid.

Renewable power providers own, operate, and finance green power generation sources. These companies partner with systems installers and energy consumers to reduce the risks and costs associated with installing and managing green power generation systems.