Solar Lantern for the Poor

TERI Solar Lantern to light-up the darkness of the Poor

Every time attending the symposium that participate by Prof Pachauri in Japan, he must introduce his institute project, TERI Solar Lantern. It is very touching to know that the leading energy research institute in India never forget about the poor community in their country. The Solar Lantern is not only to bring clean energy lighting to the poor community, it will bring changes to the whole community as well.

A lot of developing country is still facing shortage of electricity. Many of the rural village is not equip with electricity supply. Even in the city, electric breakdown is a common daily even. It is very difficult for the people stay in advance developed country to understand the difficulties outside of their comfortable life style.

For the village without electric supply, the village will use woods, carosin etc to cook and light up. As the oil price increase so much recently, most of the poor people unable to afford to have light at night.

TERI has design a solar lantern system to help the poor community in India. The Lantern will be charge using the solar panel, and rent to the poor villager for about 2 rupee per day. As the electric source is from the sun, it do not emit green house gases, and these poor community is using green energy. The light is important to make the family feel more secure, reduce air domestic pollution problem, and enable to children to study at night.

It is not only bring light to the rural community, but also hope, health and better future. It also help to increase the capacity of the community, or called as social capital by the social scientist.

TERI is still seeking donor to further expend the project to more village around the world. The cost of the lantern is about USD 100. The battery is include inside the lantern, and it use energy efficien LED light. For more detail, please visit to TERI, Lighting a billion life website
http://www.terina.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22

The charging of the lantern is using the normal big solar panel install on the roof. One solar system will be able to charge 50 lantern at once. The system will be operate and manage by local community.

Columbia Coca and Lost of Biodiversity

Columbia Coca Caused the Destruction of Tropical Forest

"They drive the hybrid car, do recycling from Monday to Friday, at Friday night party, they take some coca, and said they try to protect the environment....." told by the Vice President of Columbia at United Nations University.

The Vice President made an excellent presentation on the Drug problem and lost of biodiversity in his country, Columbia. He said that

"One gram of coca caused the destruction of 4 metersquare of Columbia tropical forest. Which is one of the riches biodiversity hot spot in the world."

The drug problem in Columbia is not only affecting their national security, but a big price on their natural environment. The illegal coca plantation in Columbia has been evolved in a very fast speed, and now the planter manage to increase the production almost 50% with the worst pesticide and fertilizer. It not only destroy the tropical forest but left with very serious pollution problem.

However, coca comsumption has been increasing at Europe, and people think it is just a innocent drug, not like the herion. What the coca consumer do not know is they cause a serious environmental and security price for where it origin. If current trend is not control, similar problem might repeat at the tropical Africa.

The coca farmer illegally cleared the tropical forest for the plantation.

The snow of Coca

Coca is destroying the biodiversity

Vice President of Columbia

Mineral Water of Bangladesh

Do you ever see these type of `Nutritious Lable` Before?

I am so suprise during my first trip to Bangladesh and found their bottled mineral water a bit different. Looking at the bottle, it is just like a normal water that will sell everywhere in the world. 

When I was waiting for my delicious food to be served in the restaurant, I just turn around the mineral water bottle and noticed something that are quite different. Their `Nutrition Facts`. They are not showing the nutrition, but the mineral contain. Check below:

This is the first time in my life I encounter a `mineral lable` that will put such dangerous contain like lead, cadmium, cyanide, arsenic etc. I understand that Bangladesh face a serious water resource pollution by the arsenic, but I never realize that they also face the threat of other poisonous matter.

Another lable of mineral water. I really dont understand what is `Free CO2`. Any idea?

Saline resilience paddy in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Prepare for the Sea Level Rise!

Bangladesh will be facing a serious problem as the sea level rise due to global warming. Some of the soil near the coastal area already facing salinity problem. Some of the saline resilience crops already being developed to overcome the problem. Pictures show the example of the saline resilience rice variety developed in Bangladesh. It seem this variety produce quite good amount of rice even in the saline environment. Unfortunately, I was a week earlier from the harvesting. Just hope to be able to taste how the `aji`.

Eco in Bangladesh! Blooming Eco Light Bulb

Eco Light Bulb Bloom in Bangladesh

The price of Eco Light Bulb in Bangladesh is about 4-5 times more expensive than the conventional light bulb. However, my current trip to Bangladesh found it is very popular even at the rural area of the country. As many of the developed society still having difficulties to promote the Eco light bulb due to higher pricing. It is interested to know why the poorer Bangladesh society is more willing to use the Eco light bulb than the developed countries. If the Bangladesh people can able to understand the benefit of using the eco light bulb, people live in the advanced society should take more eco friendly action.

Our friend in Bangladesh already take the action, what are you waiting for?

This restuarant in Dhaka is using the Eco light bulb. The restuarant keep the box of the light as it has a year of warranty. He will be able to exchange for new light buld if it fail during the first year.

Eco light bulb at one of the dessert restaurant

Above pictures were taken in a very rural area in Noakhali, one of the very poor area in Bangladesh. Suprisingly, many people here choose the Eco light bulb.

United Nations Cool Biz version "Cool UN"

NEW UNITED NATIONS IN-HOUSE CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVE

30 Jul 2008, UN Press Release

Seeking to lead by example in addressing climate change, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was launching a “Cool UN” initiative today to reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint of United Nations Headquarters, Michael Adlerstein, Executive Director of the Capital Master Plan, said at a Headquarters press conference this morning.

Accompanied by Janos Pasztor, Director of the Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team, Mr. Adlerstein said the campaign would reduce the use of air conditioning, cut greenhouse gas emissions and save money. During a month-long trial period in August, the thermostats would be turned up from 72° F (22.2° C) to 77° F (25° C) in most parts of the Secretariat building and from 70° F (21.1° C) to 75° F (23.9° C) in the conference rooms, Mr. Adlerstein said. Accompanied by a relaxed “business casual” dress code, the campaign would also involve shutting down the buildings’ heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems over the weekends.

Mr. Adlerstein, the official in charge of the Organization’s massive renovations, said that, in launching the campaign, the Secretary-General had said: “We have succeeded in moving climate change to the top of the international agenda for action, and this means that the UN must take action itself. We must lead by example, and if we are to ask others to take action, we must do so as well.”

The initiative would save some 4.4 billion pounds of steam during the month of August, or the equivalent of 300 tons of carbon dioxide in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, he said. That equalled an approximate 10 per cent reduction in energy consumption. It would also produce cash savings estimated at $100,000. If successful, the test would be extended.

In the winter months, the process would be reversed, with a 5° F reduction in the thermostat settings, he said, estimating that winter energy savings would be somewhat larger than the summer reduction, lowering energy costs by about $1 million for the year. The environmental benefit of the campaign, on a year-round basis, would result in the reduction of emissions by some 2,800 tons of carbon dioxide. The initiative would also encourage staff to explore other innovative ideas for making the United Nations a model in the global fight against climate change.

Mr. Pasztor said that, as negotiations moved forward in preparation for Copenhagen at the end of next year, climate change issues were increasingly visible on the international political agenda. “Clearly, we must act, and the Secretary-General is doing everything he can to mobilize action and, indeed, unprecedented action to move forward on climate change.” People must reflect on how they live and work, and the Secretary-General was seeking to raise awareness and find solutions. He was also engaged in bringing together a coherent response to climate change by the United Nations system. The “Cool UN” initiative was part of his “leadership by example” approach.

Responding to several questions about the technical issues involved, Mr. Adlerstein said the present cooling system at Headquarters was “antique”, but he felt comfortable that it was possible to raise the temperature by 5°F throughout the compound. “We’ll do our best and we’ll adjust as the next couple of weeks progress.” As for varying temperatures in different parts of the complex, there were many issues involved in old buildings like the United Nations Headquarters. “So we are doing what we can for the next year as we move into the Capital Master Plan.” The changes would not solve the building’s “illnesses”, but they would reduce its carbon footprint.

Asked about greening measures within the Capital Master Plan framework, he said he was not yet ready to announce all of them, but steps would be taken to incorporate significant energy savings into the Plan. In fact, it would be possible to exceed the 40 per cent reduction in energy and 30 per cent reduction in water consumption that had been discussed last winter. Among other things, there was a plan to introduce wind generation in the compound for demonstration purposes. Water retention measures for landscaping and other non-potable uses had also been considered. The Capital Master Plan Office would be reporting to the General Assembly on the whole variety of measures later in the year.

In response to another question, he said that, while the current heating and cooling system ran on steam, changes under the Capital Master Plan envisioned a hybrid use of steam and electric power, which would allow the United Nations to lower its energy consumption.

Source: http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2008/080730_CMP.doc.htm

Wow! They are burning in the exhibition

One of the Exhibitor bring in a burner to the New Energy Exhibition. What are the fuel? Water.

Yes, water plus fuel, and they get the same burning power and temperature as the 100% fuel. Some result even show the efficiency is much better than using conventional fuel. Wow! Fukai Green Emulsion System sugoi! Check http://www.fukaisouken.jp/.

How to produce a PV cell

The PV Japan Exhibition is suitable for all range of people who is interested to know more detail about the Photovoltic Technology. There is even a very detail description about how the PV cell is made. And detail comparison about the PV technology available and their differences. It has been attended by a lot of foreign investor especially from Taiwan and China.

There are many types of PV technology. The conventional Silicon based PV cell is said to be environmental unfriendly during its making. As the result, some Japanese maker start to produce the CIGS solar cell that are not depend on silicon and its production is more environmental friendly. Shell CIGS solar panel has winned the Japanese Good Design prize in 2007.

New Energy Exhibition in Tokyo Big Site

The New Energy and PV Japan Exhibition is one of the largest exhibition in the world. In the exhibition, you can found everything that needed to make the solar panel, from raw material, production machine, checking equipment etc. Some company even bring in the actual production machine to the exhibition. You can instantly start a Solar Panel Making business by attending it. Besides the PV, another bloom technology in the exhibition is the biofuel technology. A lot of pioneer researches had been conducted in Japan. This year, a new technology develop is the electricity generation directly from the heat. The technology has become more promosing and it is going to be study for the cost of large scale production.

Sanyo - the world largest Solar Power Producer. Currently, its production has been overtook by the Germany company.

Sanyo new solar panel called HIT is capable to solve the problem of the reducing power generation from conventional silicon-based solar panel. The above picture show the reduction of power by conventional solar panel (right) when the temperature increase.

In this exhibition, some company already developed the flexible solar "sheet" (not the hard panel), which are capable to be installed in various location.

New type of Solar sheet. So flexible, just like paper.

{News} 080626 Researchers: Ocean Algae Biofuels Might Prove To Be A Sustainable Energy Source; 'Encouraging Results'

Researchers: Ocean Algae Biofuels Might Prove To Be A Sustainable Energy Source; 'Encouraging Results'

Underwatertimes.com News Service, June 26, 2008 13:46 EST

Manhattan, Kansas -- Research by two Kansas State University scientists could help with the large-scale cultivation and manufacturing of oil-rich algae in oceans for biofuel.
K-State's Zhijian "Z.J." Pei, associate professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, and Wenqiao "Wayne" Yuan, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering, have received a $98,560 Small Grant for Exploratory Research from the National Science Foundation to study solid carriers for manufacturing algae biofuels in the ocean.
Algae are a diverse and simple group of organisms that live in or near water. Certain algal species are high in oil content that could be converted into such fuels as biodiesel, according to Pei and Yuan. Algae also have several environmentally-friendly advantages over corn or other plants used for biofuels, including not needing soil or fresh water to grow.
Pei and Yuan plan to identify attributes of algae and properties of materials that enable growth of certain algae species on solid carriers. Solid carriers float on the water surface for algae to attach to and grow on.
"Not all materials are equally suitable to make these carriers," Yuan said. "Some materials are better for algal attachment and growth than others, and we will be identifying what those 'good' materials are."
The project could help with the design of major equipment for manufacturing algae biofuels from the ocean, including solid carriers, in-the-ocean algae harvesting equipment and oil extraction machines, Pei said.
"This research aims to develop a cost-effective process for growing algae on solid carriers in the ocean for biofuel manufacturing," he said. "If successful, it will greatly benefit the energy security of the United States, as well as society in general."
The research will be conducted with a two-step approach.
"Selected algae species will be grown on solid carriers in a simulated ocean environment and will be evaluated for their ability to attach to solid carriers and grow in seawater, their biomass productivity, and their oil content," Pei said. "Top-ranked species in step one will be selected to test the performance of several carrier materials, including natural organic, synthetic organic and inorganic materials, with the same evaluation parameters as in step one."
Pei said the properties of the highly-ranked carriers also will be analyzed.
Yuan, who has studied biodiesel for several years, said the major problem with making the fuel has been finding sustainable oil and fat sources.
"Algae seems to be the only promising sustainable oil source for biodiesel production," he said. "In my lab, we have several different projects involving algae and we have been trying different ways to grow it. We have already obtained some encouraging results."
Pei said the project also will have an educational benefit, with K-State College of Engineering graduate and undergraduate students to be involved in the multidisciplinary research.

Source: http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=25107309846

Newly installed Solar Panel at Kita Ayase subway station

Today, when I take the morning train from Kita Ayase station, I was so suprise with the new panel on the wall showing the electricity generated using the solar panel newly installed on the roof of the station. The electric will be used for the lighting and escalator in the station. It is one of the effort from Tokyo Metro (subway company) to reduce the CO2 emission.

The Koshigaya-Laketown - Eco and Flood Disaster Prevention New Town

The Koshigaya-Laketown - Eco and Flood Disaster Prevention New Town


The Koshigaya Laketown is developed along the JR Train line. It has been desinated as the first 20% CO2 reduction Town development project in Japan.

Solar Heat Water storage is installed on the roof

The Koshigaya Laketown JR station is located at the center of the town and can easily access to Tokyo. It to be made as the main transport system for the new town.

The Lake is designed to be a flood water retention pond. During the flood, it will be filled with water to prevent the flooding in the downstream region of Nakagawa river. In normal period, it can be used for recreational purpose.

Eco Life Fair 2008

The tricycle is become more popular now in Japan. There is some tricycle taxi in the city like Yokohama.

A Tricycle Taxi.

Electric Car. The price is still higher compare to normal small car.

How about some recycle cardboard for your kids?

Eco Life Fair 2008

An interesting experiment to teach people about CO2 emission from JACCA

Different weight of the CO2 emission per person is loaded in the beg. People can take the beg to compare the different weight for Japanese, Chinese and American. It is a good way to teach people about how much difference of the CO2 they emitted.

Another game to learn about eco life.

The wind turbin is prepared, and people can charge their handphone with the connector using the green energy.

Eco Life Fair 2008

The food court of Eco Life Fair was also very special. The container for food need to be rent from the special counter. After finishing the meal, the customer need to return the contain and you can get the refund. Waste seperation is needed during the disposal of the waste.

Various delicious food are provided. Oishi So!

Real experiment of the normal and energy saving light bulb. On the left is normal light bulb and right is the energy saving ligth. The normal ligth is now cost electric of 214 yen, while the energy saving bulb just 48 yen. It is 4 times more saving by changing to new one. Toshiba is announcing that they will stop the production of normal light bulb very soon.

The energy saving light bulb is 8-10 times more longer life span and reduce 80% of electric. If you use it for 10000 hours, yo can save about 10,000 yen.