The Beautiful All Black Ayam Cemani. It's Known As The Lamborghini Of Poultry... The Ayam Cemani in case you didn't know, is the most rare and exotic chicken breed in the world. Hence the unusual title of The Lamborghini of Poultry. I'm delighted to inform you of these facts because it's vitally important that you know. Everything about this poultry is black. A Small Creek Provides Plenty of Power For This Off-Grid Home For eight years, Tracey and I lived in a solar powered home and for eight cloudy winters, we ran a small Honda generator every week to recharge our batteries. We understood that the original owner of our home had operated a small hydro system from the property's year round creek but we never investigated this option because the creek ran through dense forest. Besides, we could just tell there wasn't sufficient drop over its course. We finally decided to use Backwoods Solar's Site Level just to confirm hydro didn't make sense.Much to our surprise, our traverse through the woods from a potential turbine site to a convenient intake location revealed about 80' of drop. Site Level Voila, hydro potential. A quick assessment of the benefits of this quantity of energy convinced us to proceed with an installation. Prior to that weekend, Tracey and I had to develop the route for the penstock through the woods through which the creek meandered. Flume Creek
Forscher versenken Betonkugel vor Überlingen Bodenseekreis sz Eine übergroße Betonkugel mit einem Durchmesser von drei Metern wollen Forscher des Fraunhofer-Instituts Kassel noch in diesem Jahr vor Überlingen versenken. Während des etwa vierwöchigen Testlaufs soll herausgefunden werden, ob die Kugel als Energiespeicher dienen kann. Später soll die Technik im Meer eingesetzt werden, mit dem Ziel Energie auch in der Nähe von Offshore-Windparks zu speichern. Speicherplatz Die Kugeln sollen als Ersatz für sogenannte Pumpspeicherkraftwerke dienen. Je tiefer, desto besser Dadurch wird eine Turbine angetrieben, die letztlich den Strom erzeugt. Stelle vor Überlingen gut geeignet Für die Testphase im Bodensee sieht das natürlich anders aus: „Dort würde eine Test-Kugel mit drei Metern Durchmesser in einer Tiefe von etwa 100 Metern versenkt werden“, erklärte Martin Wessels vom Langenargener Seenforschungsinstitut. Lohnt sich so etwas? Ferner fänden die Wissenschaftler am Bodensee gut kontrollierte Bedingungen vor, wie Wessels ausführte.
Have a Cow, Man Owning a cow may be more involved than a backyard chicken, but when’s the last time you got farm-fresh milk from a hen? Maybe it’s time to buy the cow and get the milk for free. First off, decide if you want a dairy or beef cow. Next up: You’ll need a good amount of pasture — anywhere from a half acre to 100 acres depending on how well grass and other forage grows in your climate. One thing you don’t necessarily need? Below are some breeds, both common and exotic, to get your ranch underway. Belted Galloway These black-and-white “Oreo cows” from south Scotland were rare until recently, but their delightful appearance has made them suddenly quite trendy. British Blonde The British Blonde was bred for pulling yokes, giving them the bulky hindquarters of a middle-linebacker — excellent for beef production. British White This striking two-tone breed is sure to turn heads in any pasture. English Longhorn Highland Cow Holstein When it comes to making milk, nothing beats a Holstein. Jersey Simmental
Portland installs turbines in their city water pipes, powers city by flushing toilets Hydoelectric turbines have been installed in one of the main water pipelines in Portland, Oregon, utilizing the water pressure to produce electricity. The turbines work where water is flowing downhill, and are already recouping some of the energy cost in keeping the water system running. When fully in place, these pipe generators can power hundreds of thousands of homes. Gregg Semler, CEO of Lucid Energy, followed his dream of "helping water become more sustainable" by developing this smart piping system. Not only are they electricity generators, they also have state of the art sensors to detect change in water pressure to keep pipes from bursting, and the ability to detect if drinking water is contaminated.
Problem loading page Canada’s Hydrostor has developed a creative energy storage solution that is half the cost of the best battery technology and lasts twice as long. The clean energy startup is storing energy as compressed air and then housing the air underwater inside giant balloons. Though it sounds ridiculous, the idea is efficient at energy storage, and an environmentally friendly, zero-emissions solution. Cleantech startup Hydrostor designed and is now partnering with Toronto Hydro to operate the world’s’ first underwater compressed air energy storage system in Toronto. Related: This off-grid concept house shares energy with a hybrid companion car Under development for five years, the Hydrostor solution takes existing technologies and repurposes them for its clean energy storage solution. The compressed air remains inside the underwater balloons until it is needed by Toronto during peak energy hours.
Stealth Survival PowerTrekk PowerTrekk - the world´s first Water Charger: 5 inches x 2.5 inches x 1.75 inches Power anywhere, anytime - just add water. PowerTrekk uses fuel cell technology which cleanly and efficiently converts hydrogen into electricity. Users simply insert the PowerTrekk Puck and add water to provide instant power on the go via a USB cord. Unlike solar chargers, fuel cell power is not impacted by cloudy weather. Users simply insert a 'PowerPukk fuel pack' and add water. The device will be aimed initially at campers and trekkers, but the company has been recognized by USAID and the Pentagon for the many possibilities this type of portable generation offers. By Signa Chemistry, www.powertrekk.com The PowerTrekk will be available from REI for $199 for the base unit.
Energy Storage in Underwater Balloons Grid-level energy storage takes many forms, including flow batteries, Li-ion batteries, pumped hydro, compressed air in underground caverns, and even flywheels. Toronto’s Hydrostor just added another tool to the arsenal: underwater compressed air energy storage (UCAES). Hydrostor recently activated a pilot UCAES plant - the first of its kind - that will provide grid-level storage for the city of Toronto. In addition to supplying the city with cost-effective energy storage, the system will allow engineers to study its behavior and optimize the design. Can UCAES become a viable energy storage technology? The idea has been around for many years: when supply exceeds demand, use the excess energy to run an air compressor and store the air in an underwater balloon. Here’s a simplified version of how it works: According to Hydrostor’s CEO, Curtis VanWalleghem, the “balloons” are made of urethane coated nylon. All electrical equipment is on land. Images and video courtesy of Hydrostor
Stay Connected with a Solar Powered Fridge Whether you're looking for a fridge because you're off the grid, or a fridge to have as a back-up during a power outage, or as a creative way to save money, a solar powered appliance makes a viable option. When shopping for a solar powered fridge be sure to confirm whether the appliance comes with the solar panels and battery. In most cases you have to purchase those separately. Below you'll find a selection of solar powered fridges including the one featured in the photo to the left. Photo: Solar Fridge by EcoSolarCool - Size is 6.18 Cubic Feet Here you'll find the 8 Cubic Foot Fridge as well as a slightly smaller one, in case your able to make due with one that's even smaller! EcoSolarCool Freezer Measures 7.06 Cubic Feet - For residential or commercial use. Upright Solar Fridge Measures 6.18 Cubic Feet - Many of the solar fridges offered are not the upright version, however here's an upright solar fridge for those preferring this model.