New developments this week include an abdication by Google (News 
- Alert), a finding by The Natural Resources Defense Council, an investment by GE and partners, a runway innovation that’s not from the fashion industry, a teenager who gets the most from a gallon of gas – and much more.
Google has announced that it will discontinue its PowerMeter application on September 16. “We’re pleased that PowerMeter has helped demonstrate the importance of this [home energy] access and created something of a model. However, our efforts have not scaled as quickly as we would like, so we are retiring the service,” the Google blog explained. Users will be contacted by the company, for information on how to download their account data.
A finding by the Natural Resources Defense Council will not be popular among those who need to tape their “Dr. Phil” or “Conan” on a daily basis. According to the Council’s research report, Reducing the National Energy Consumption of Set-Top Boxes, digital video recorders (DVRs), cable, and other pay-TV boxes squander huge amount of energy annually – equivalent to annual energy output of six coal burning power plants (500 MW) – because they are not equipped to power down when not being used.
GE and its venture capital partners will invest $63 million in 10 innovative home energy technology companies, as a part of the $200 million GE ecomagination Challenge. This year’s winnings will go to companies that found innovative ways of “Powering Your Home.” According to GE sources, an additional $20 million will be invested for scaling and commercializing ideas from the Challenge through a new ecomagination Innovation Council. Also planned are more region-specific ecomagination Challenges as in China later this year besides the provision of support for early stage ideas in Europe and their further development.
A team of five Chinese aeronautics students topped this year’s Airbus’ Fly Your Ideas 2011 competition, which challenges students worldwide to develop new ideas to deliver a more eco-efficient aviation industry for the future. The $42,000 prize was awarded at a ceremony held at the International Paris Air Show – Le Bourget on June 23. Team Wings of Phoenix from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics won for their suggestion of a ground-based wind power-generation system that exploits the wakes of aircraft generated during takeoff and landing. The team members, along with all the finalists, will also be offered an internship at Airbus.
In another student competition, on June 23 in the UK, students from regional schools and universities participated in the annual Mileage Marathon Challenge near Leicester, England – each team vying to set a new gas mileage efficiency record in a race around a track. Cars were allowed to coast, but had to maintain a minimum speed of 15 miles per hour. Students worked on the vehicle prototypes, many in partnership with design and engineering firms. The winner of the 20-team competition was a vehicle driven by 14-year-old Sam Chapman-Hill, which reached 1,980 miles on a single gallon of fuel.
Chevrolet Cruze engineers also have been working on fuel-saving technologies, including a deceleration fuel cutoff (DFCO) provision that works seamlessly without the driver and the passengers ever noticing. As soon as a vehicle starts to slow down or decelerate, fuel supply is automatically cut off to the car’s advanced Ecotec engine. The fuel supply to the engine is resumed once the driver starts to speed up again.
The Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI), a global consortium dedicated to green computing and networking, welcomed a new member of the CSCI Board of Directors: Samsung (News - Alert) Electronics. The Korean electronics giant – the largest in the world – will join other prominent members such as Cisco , Emerson (News - Alert), F5 Networks, Google, Intel, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the initiative to help drive the deployment and adoption of energy-efficient technologies in IT. To date, CSCI has 680 members.
Ricoh (News - Alert) Europe announced the launch of eco-board – a billboard powered by 100 percent wind and solar power. Leveraging the dual natural sources of power, the Ricoh eco-board will illuminate only when sufficient power is collected. The company has set up the European eco-board on the M4 motorway, which runs from London to Heathrow airport. There are 96 solar panels and 5 individual wind turbines to power the eco-board. The board forms an important part of Ricoh’s overall commitment to raising environmental awareness in the region.
Libelium has completed its Smart Cities platform, which will enable system integrators to view noise, pollution, structural health, and waste management. Company officials said that urban monitoring – whether relating to noise pollution, traffic management, or structural health – can be addressed cost-effectively by wireless sensor network. Libelium is now able to provide a complete technology for deploying all the services a Smart City needs using the same modular platform.
And finally, Siemens Industry has received a multi-million dollar order from Greenpac Mill, a Cascades affiliate, to supply the complete electrification and service for a new $430 million green containerboard mill in Niagara Falls, New York. Cascades’ Greenpac Mill project will use 100 percent recycled fiber input to produce approximately 526, 000 tons of linerboard per year. Siemens will provide all main service components for the mill, including engineering, project management, and commissioning and start-up assistance. The order also includes a three-year site support agreement complete with a 99 percent uptime guarantee.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.
Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
