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A Conversation with GE
GE partnered with TED to launch TED Conversations. Here, their scientists and leaders engage with the TED community on key global issues.
Tore Land
Ecomagination Challenge
This conversation is closed.
A conversation with GE: What are the best ideas for alternative energy management at home?
Last month, GE announced the second phase of our Ecomagination Challenge: a call to businesses, entrepreneurs, inventors and students to share their ideas for capturing, managing and using energy in the home. We see this as a critical global challenge, and together with our partners we've committed $200 million to fund the most innovative alternative energy solutions.
We know the TED community is at the forefront of sustainable energy and design, and we want to enlist your help in identifying the most innovative, investment-worthy breakthroughs. So tell us: What groundbreaking idea for reducing residential energy use looks most promising to you? Who are the up-and-coming "green" designers, eco-architects and innovators we should seek out? Where are the hotbeds of invention? We're looking forward to uncovering a variety of fresh ideas from around the world. We look forward to hearing from you ...
Closing Statement from Tore Land, Director, GE Ecomagination Challenge
We at GE want to give our heartfelt thanks to the TED community for participating in this conversation. Your ideas and insights -- ranging from home automation and discussions about a two-way grid to apps and gaming methods that can drive behavior change -- have been fascinating to read and stimulating to respond to.
On a personal note, as the host of this conversation, I want to thank you for your participation and fresh thinking here. And on behalf of the whole ecomagination Challenge team, we look forward to working with you to help imagine and build technology that can meet these pressing environmental challenges.
GE believes widespread adoption of clean energy technology will start in the home. And we believe the second phase of the ecomagination Challenge will help drive that change. We invite you to continue to follow this project via our website:
We're currently reviewing the submissions to the challenge and, together with our partners, will evaluate the most innovative. We'll be announcing the winners next month -- stay tuned for the announcement!
Home energy is a critical global challenge, and we want the TED Community to know we are committed to building -- and scaling up -- innovative solutions.
Thank you for letting us pick your brains!
Tore Land
Director, GE ecomagination Challenge
Mar 15 2011: How much is one hour of sunlight on three square meter worth? Let's see, if we're talking about electricity and we say that electricity is worth $0.10 per KWH than 3KWH's are worth $0.30. The problem is that PV panels have a radiant energy conversion rate of about 20% or less so three hours of sunlight on one square meter of a solar panel is worth less than $0.06
How about heat? How much is 3 hours of sunlight on one square meter of a solar collector worth if we're talking about heat? Well 1KWH = 3400 BTU so 3KWH = 10,200 BTU. Since one gallon of fuel oil contains 150,000 BTU 10,200 BTU's are the equivalent of .07 gallons of fuel oil.
Now if fuel oil is selling for $2.00/gallon which it soon will be the value 10,200 BTU's is about $0.14. You might think this is an unfair assumption since we're not taking into account the heat conversion efficiency factor like we did with the solar panel. I'm glad to see you're paying attention and you are right about this. The heat transfer efficiency of a solar hot water system is between 50% and 70% the same as oil burner heat transfer efficiency. Since the heat transfer efficiency for an oil burner is about the same as solar collector and the price of oil is $2.00/gallon than the value of 3 hours of sunlight on one square meter is worth actually $0.14.
How about the value of heat energy over the period of one year on a roof (20' x 50') tilted south at a steep pitch designed to maximize heat gain?
The surface area of the roof is 1000 sq ft or 95m2.
The solar energy available (for north central USA ) over the period one year on one square meter is 1500KWH. So on 95m2 we'd have:95x1500 or 142,500KWH or 484,500,000 BTU or the fuel oil equivalent of 3,230 gallons of #2 fuel oil. At $2.00/gallon our solar roof could save us as much as $6,460/yr. If half this energy is used for heating and half is used for electric power we could meet the residential requirements for energy independence.
Eric Berlow
Feb 13 2011: Data-driven decision-making for efficiency is best, and I think most elegant, when it helps people look at the entire system and target the cheapest, lowest tech, simplest way to achieve low energy use goals tailored to local climate conditions. Example: When designing my house on a limited budget, I had to chose between more insulation vs more thermal mass, high efficiency solar thermal arrays vs old used ones, high tech windows vs. regular double pane, etc. In the end, I found data from a nearby weather station with a 1history of hourly temp, precip, and solar radiation. With those data I realized I could meet 85-90% of my heating needs with well placed cheaper windows, correct overhangs, concrete floors for thermal mass, and cheap used solar thermal panels to heat the radiant floors. Expensive super insulated walls, super tight 'passive' construction, and high tech windows and panels, while nice, were not necessary, and I ended up with an extremely comfortable, highly efficient, home for literally a third the price of one you find in a green home magazine. The data on local site conditions allowed me to look at the entire system as a whole in the context of local climate and figure out what was most important to focus on to meet my goals. I have rarely seen others be able do this easily and intuitively when making potentially costly decisions about how to 'go green' with their home... The focus usually is high-tech solutions (e.g., solar PV) first, but really using data to find low tech solutions is infinitely more elegant, fun, and interesting. www.swall-institute.org
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Feb 14 2011: Eric, this is fascinating. It seems like there could be real value in synthesizing available data, like what you found, for various communities and providing guidelines for consumers to advise their energy efficient upgrades. The key to this would be to make it widely available to the public. This could help give consumers customized, actionable advice on how to make their homes more efficient at the greatest value. Does anyone know if services like this are already available?
Eric Berlow
Feb 16 2011: Hi Tore, that's a great question, and it's very relevant to what Rodrigo and Ido mention about solar thermal. Notice the examples they use are Australia, Spain, and Israel - areas with lots of sun. If they were in northern Germany or Denmark it might be better focus on very tight construction and super insulation, eliminate the need for radiant heat, and then it would require high-tech, expensive, vacuum tube solar thermal panels for shower water. A different solution for the exact same house.
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So site data are key. I used publicly available RAWS (remote automated weather station) data for my site in California (http://www.raws.dri.edu/wraws/ccaF.html), but in theory you could have a simple app that gives people great summary information on seasonal patterns of solar radiation and temperatures for their specific site.I also used a great free online tool to calculate the specific window sizes and overhangs for my site: http://www.susdesign.com/tools.php But then it would be nice to go one step further and, for that climate, estimate the optimal balance of insulation, thermal mass, and window glazing on each aspect.
It seems that now there should be simple smartphone apps for that kind of thing but I don't know of one off hand... If anyone does, please let me know :)
What I mention above is focused on new construction, but could also be used for retrofitting or renovations by adding constraints of the existing structure.
clay blasdel
Mar 15 2011: Speaking of key global issues, a few minutes ago, word came from Japan that the third GE designed nuclear reactor might breach the reactor vessel and melt-down. We'll see. It's impossible not to mention the elephant in the room. I'd say GE needs to re-imagine its engineering.
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Peter Gooley
Mar 15 2011: And is NOW is the time to have a real conversation about Thorium Reactors? There are huge advantages over Nuclear plants to using Thorium plants. My Web look into this brings up some very interesting information.
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Would be great to hear from those who REALLY know. How about you GE?
Below is from Jack Lifton in a Resource Investor magazine in 2009.
1. Reactors using thorium in their fuel can be constructed so that they produce little or no products useful for explosive type (fission- or fusion-based) nuclear weapons.
2. Thorium reactors previously built and currently near operation, or in the design stage, produce far less radioactive waste material than the presently used uranium and/or plutonium based reactors.
3. Thorium is more abundant in the earth's crust by a factor of between three and four than uranium, and coincidentally is also found in recoverable (as a byproduct) grades and quantities in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Republic of South Africa, and the People's Republic of China (that is, the mainland). It has not yet been mined as a primary ore (more on this in a moment) but is rather always produced as a byproduct of either uranium or rare-earth metals primary production.Mar 13 2011: I'm not an expert in any field, but one day I just had an idea of using Earths magnetic field as an alternative energy source. Even that it's weak I think using special magnets and magnetic shielding it might be possible to build these under every new house. Similar system as the wind energy mils have, based on rotation. And they might actually last decades without maintaining. Just a thought...
David Burk
Feb 28 2011: I think the bottom line is the fact that consumers have no way of measuring their energy usage, and therefore managing their energy costs. If you're not measuring, you're guessing. Give people a way to know exactly what is pulling what load and when, and I believe you will see large changes in behavior.
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Mar 2 2011: Just bought a hybrid car that displays instantaneous gas mileage. It makes me try harder to get better economy. I agree with you that if we had quick and easy measurement of home energy use, many if not all of us would try to minimize use and cost. Tying a display into the cable or satellite TV would put it at our finger
tips.Mar 5 2011: We have that in AU. A little wireless meter that sits on my fridge (or anywhere) which displays the homes current electricity consumption and the associated hourly cost with monthly cost totals. While it is novel and interesting for the first quarter (billing period), there was no noticeable difference in our costs or use. So now it sits there and is rarely looked at.
I believe changing consumption behavior is a little more difficult than that. Simplifying energy control in the home would make more sense to me. Such as a simple switch connected to your key, like motels, that turns off all none essential electrical use (stand by) while you are not in the home. I am essentially lazy and prefer that than trying to reach behind the furniture to switch off all the power points in my home.
Further to that, appliance manufacturers need to make appliances that do not use any electricity when they are not used. Seriously, how many clocks do we need in our homes.?Mar 6 2011: This ability to monitor home energy use is just coming out and I think as it scales up will radically change use. In Maine where I live, the power company just installed smart meters on 95% of customers in the state. They will soon roll out the self-monitoring service, like google power meter. With this data and feedback power use will begin to radically change.
Pairing this with smart grids and appliances that speak to one another so that energy use is dispersed so that renewable resources can power more of our power use and there is less on-demand need for burning coal, will certainly move us forward.Mar 15 2011: Here in america 20+ of our energy needs could be gained by conservation alone. Cut waste!
james morgan
Mar 11 2011: So the mega-corporation GE is now, like other major corporations, trying to bank off the alternative energy market. Wow, I didn't see that one coming. Why don't we take a look at GE's track record?
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From Wiki: "GE has a history of some of its activities giving rise to large-scale air and water pollution. Based on year 2000 data,[36] researchers at the Political Economy Research Institute listed the corporation as the fourth-largest corporate producer of air pollution in the United States, with more than 4.4 million pounds per year (2,000 Tonnes) of toxic chemicals released into the air.[37] GE has also been implicated in the creation of toxic waste. According to EPA documents, only the United States Government, Honeywell, and Chevron Corporation are responsible for producing more Superfund toxic waste sites.[38] "
From Wiki, "In 2010, Forbes ranked GE as the world's second largest company after JPMorgan Chase,[5] based on a formula that compared the total sales, profits, assets, and market value of several multinational companies.[6]"
I propose we stop supporting mega conglomerates like GE, who are simply using alternative energy as a front for business as usual. Rather than finding ways of producing more energy, and lining GE's pockets, I propose we all start finding ways of reducing our energy consumption. I no longer heat or cool my house unless it's totally freezing, hey add some layers of clothes. I try to reuse and make as many things myself as I can, without purchasing new products from major corporations.
I wonder whether I will get a response, or if this will be deleted.
Mark Dawes
Mar 5 2011: There are already a host of emerging technical solutions and new ones coming along almost daily. I saw your panel discussion at CES and have visited with one of your co-panelists since - Neil McPhail from Best Buy. I think the big gap in getting this market and movement started is in the business model as presented to the consumer. I feel like the current model as a "do it yourself" home ROI based model is too hard to grasp and uncompelling.for most people.
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Consider an alternative lens/approach. The home budget is owned and operated by women, not men. The DIY model is very male-centric. I think we need to re-engineer the consumer presentation at the retail level and target women. This will mean that we need to reframe the model in terms that motivate and inspire women. At a minimum a transformative home energy solution will involve both home decision makers.
Here's a nugget to chew on - discovered by an all female design team at Volvo - "Designing to meet the needs of women will exceed the needs of men." Assume its true. So if the home energy business model is designed for female home budgeters,it has the chance to meet all needs.
I discussed this with McPhail and his colleagues at BB and they are intrigued. In fact they may see a way to re-configure the presentation through the Geek Squad and their Magnolia "store-in'store" concept to re-present home energy management.
Love to chart more. I can be found through the TED community.
Mark Dawes
Mar 9 2011: These are interesting points you raise. You are right that home energy solutions will involve both home decision makers. If a DIY model won't appeal to all decision makers, what kind of approach do you think will appeal more to everyone? Do others agree with this assessment? By the way, unfortunately I was unable to attend CES but I believe my colleague David McCalpin (GM, Home Energy) was on the panel you attended. I will make sure he sees your comments as well.
Mar 11 2011: I agree with Mark's idea! While the household management is generally a female domain, energy management nowadays could not be more male-oriented.
I am no specialist, but maybe instead of (or along with) gadgets and control, solutions should be marketed around empowerment, durability, sustainability, health, savings, user-friendliness, flexibility, multitasking, even decoration or home-madeness (such as my own compost as opposed to my own remote control of the sprinklers in the house)...
Also, women are probably more likely to cooperate in projects to pool and share resources. This could be used for developing a completely different line of products and solutions, not home-centered, but community-centered.
Debra Smith
Mar 3 2011: My ideas are simplistic. All new homes should be built to be as self sufficient as possible with current technology. With excellent solar panels for every roof and compostable toilets all homes should be built so that aging infrastructures do not need to be replaced to accomodate new building projects. While this is not practical for highrises it is now possible for single family dwellings. Human waste should be processed where it originates and it should be turned back into the degrading soil once it is safe. Brown water should be reused for landscaping etc. or cleaned and recycled.Feb 16 2011: Feedback, feedback, feedback. The simplest and most effective method to encourage conservation in the home is to give people clear & immediate feedback about their usage. There have been many studies showing that people will modify their consumption habits if they see the hidden costs, patterns of use, & distributed impacts embedded in their lifestyle (eg the Prius Effect, the work of IDEO & Ford, etc...). This requires energy & resource providers to be transparent about costs and usage, and requires a simple but powerful interface to see the effects of energy consumption.
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Feb 16 2011: Thanks for your input; we believe in the power of information as well, that's why we are bringing technology like the GE Nucleus (www.geappliances.com/home-energy-manager/) to market. What do you think about the Nucleus?
clay blasdel
Feb 16 2011: Build a fat refrigerator. Imagine a beer cooler with 6 inches of insulation instead of 1inch. How long would the ice last? All week, right?
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Refrigerators are the 2nd biggest energy hogs in the home, next to AC. A thick-walled frig filled with cheap ridig-foam insulation should cut energy consumption in half. Next, install a smaller motor in the TOP of the frig - not the bottom- just like grandma used to have. Heat rises, so put the motor at the top. (maybe the motor unit should go on the outside wall ?) A fat frig might hold less, but a smaller cubic inch frig is a small trade-off for a machine that runs on pennies per month. If you can cut the household energy consumption by half, let's say, you could cut national consumption by half. We burn a lot of imported oil generating electricity to run those energy hog refrigerators. This is a better idea that GE should have re-engineered in the 20th century.
Conservation works(!) and it cost nearly nothing.
Feb 17 2011: EXCELLENT IDEA. I also think a better insulated fridge will need smaller coils for the heat exchanger and then the coils could sit on the top of the fridge instead of the back...allowing more space for more
insulation in the back...Could actually have your cake and eat it too.....(cold)
Also, the insulation doesn't HAVE to be uniform. The freezer could have more.
Feb 22 2011: i like the idea but i think it could use more building, ive been on the idea of sub terrain homes but i realize the drawbacks and know this isn't the answer i live in Florida and dont run the AC because of the window construction of the house but i think maybe having a wall back by dirt (a kind of like having a side of the house being sub terrain-en a sense) and building the fridge as part of the house thus being more insulated by the earth and the cooling unit not only be for the fridge but make it the cooling unit for also the house as well. as an added bonus the house would naturally be cooler from the one side being buried/backed by dirtFeb 17 2011: If you're willing to pay a bit more, then making the box out of vacuum panels instead of stuffing them with
insulation would allow for both reasonable size/capacity and good insulation.
Feb 22 2011: A LOT of energy is wasted converted electricity back to thermal energy. Better yet, use replaceable Vacuum Insulated Panels. They have the highest insulation ratings available. I'd recommend using them not only for refrigerators, but something along those lines for hot water tanks and pipes as well. Imagine the insulation rating you'd get putting a hot water tank in a thermos?
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Scott W
Feb 22 2011: A smaller motor does not neccessarily equate to energy savings.
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For example a smaller compressor would take longer to move the same volume of heated refrigerant, this means it would take longer to move the same amount of heat as a larger motor. In short this means longer running times which could actually increase energy usage in some cases.
As for putting the motors on the top instead of the bottom, they would then be subjected to the heat given off by the condenser coil which can actually harm their operation efficiency so that too may not be as beneficial as it seems at first glance.
When it comes to insulation more is not necessarily more. Quality, even if that means a greater cost, is far more beneficial than thick insulation.Mar 9 2011: If this is paired with solar power it makes the comsumption almost zero in most parts of the world, this goes for both refrigiators and even for airconditioners.Feb 14 2011: Eric Berlow's emphasis on data-driven decision-making is spot on. Imagine a world with data-driven approaches to the design and operation of homes that are sustainable on two fronts: the building's carbon footprint and the building's impact on human health. People in the developing world spend 90% of their lives indoors, and a significant portion of this time is in their home (sleeping). One groundbreaking idea for reducing residential energy use is to link - using empirical data - sustainable design strategies to human health. Evidence-based design strategies pointing towards a healthier environment and a reduced carbon footprint will motivate home builders and home owners. Preliminary data gathered by the Biology and the Built Environment (BioBE) Center suggest this dual-pronged approach is possible. http://biology.uoregon.edu/biobe/
Feb 14 2011: Jessica, this is a very smart approach. Have you seen any innovative approaches to promoting both human health and environmental sustainability that are already in market? Which do you think consumers are more cognizant of; the home's impact on human health or the environment? Which do you think they take steps towards addressing first?
Feb 14 2011: My sense is that consumers are more cognizant of their own personal health than the environment, and that homeowners will prioritize health over a low carbon footprint. In many situations, however, these go hand-in-hand. If consumers recognize this they will put their dollar on both.
Innovative approaches already in the market are being advanced primarily in the health care sector (e.g. http://www.noharm.org/all_regions/issues/building/). The BioBE Center is collaborating with health care facilities to gather quantitative data on how sustainable design strategies like natural light and natural ventilation influence the built environment microbiome – the trillions of microbes that occupy buildings and ultimately affect human health.
I believe it is possible to bring these data-driven approaches to the home. I envision a cost-effective, hand-held sampling device that residents can use to sample their home 'microbiome' under different energy use scenarios. We have already started a conversation with Think2Build (http://www.think2build.com/) about the potential development of such a device. What do you think about this idea, of being able to quantify shifts in energy consumption and the DNA blueprint of a building in tandem?
Feb 16 2011: I agree that both issues are related even if consumers prioritize health over carbon footprint as a motivating factor. In fact, addressing carbon footprint issues over time can have a beneficial impact on health by, for example, reducing emissions resulting in a more sustainable environment. I think the hand-held device you have outlined sounds like a very smart and innovative approach. It does a good job of showing the correlation between a more energy efficient home being a healthier home.Feb 13 2011: Agree with Arthur Zard's approach to home automation - but I want my smart app to be as invisible to me as possible!! I want to trust the provider that i purchased my energy supply from to have made the most ecologically sensible choices for me! For example - the IBM smart house project that is being showcased at IBM Zurich appears to be obsessed with giving users choices about the brilliant energy efficient algorithms that the house's software crunches to provide the most economic outcome for the user - the software pretty much phones the occupant up to ask them whether you they want the pre-loaded washing to start a cycle at off peak rates ...As a user I don't care about having to make the choices!! I want these domestic decisions to be invisible!! Yet - I totally get that energy choices are ultimately a political decision and that as a citizen I should be engaged with - so maybe give me a little bit of choice - like a DIY energy portfolio to choose from that I can wear as a logo on my smart phone like a designer label - but one that doesn't nag me about every single mundane decision that computers could be making ... I have STUFF to do!!
June Cohen
Feb 14 2011: Rachel, I love this perspective because it brings user-centered design to the forefront. Those of us who design products for the web live and breathe user-centered design, because we have to. A product that elegantly meets its users' unspoken needs will succeed; you'll see it in your metrics. But if you lose sight of your users' intent, or mis-judge their needs, you will immediately and viscerally feel the impact. Your analytic reports can likely show you the exact moment when they abandon your site.
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Other industries -- like home energy efficiency -- don't always have the measurement tools to identify the exact moment when they start losing users. So this kind of feedback into the design process is critical.
Feb 14 2011: June, I wonder if there are other lessons to be learned from the internet in this area. ??
One of the things that fascinates me at the moment is the prospect of home energy being linked to domestic transport. For example, Copenhagen is considering a scheme combining electric cars, wind power and home energy supply - the energy analytics of this is being carried out by IBM. The idea is that car batteries serve as a distributed capacitor for home electricity and ideally cars do not just provide transport but are also able to dump charge into the grid when there is an excess. So from a consumer perspective the de-centralisation of the provision of home energy is going to be something that we'll see a lot more of in the near future. What fraction of the energy market this will be is not at all clear but most likely small in the initial stages - especially as it's going to be costly to set up effective distributed infrastructures. However, the success of these innovations - distributed patterns of use and home purchase of alt.energy generators - is likely to be influenced by social media, online activities and equally distributed virtual systems etc. that will play a key role in shaping our energy choices, or our perception of them and building energy conscious communities with purchasing power ...
What intrigues me is whether engagement into these pioneering ventures will be dovetailed with something like - distributed gaming (where you can earn points that are cashed in for energy credits - or something) as a way of incentivising new patterns of usage and finding new ways of engaging with these complex, important and challenging scenarios. I'm not sure how successful these more playful approaches to engaging the public are with these kinds of issues ... and what kind of impact they've had ... In any case ... I'd be keen to find out!!
Feb 15 2011: Rachel, you bring up more than a few good ideas here worth thinking more about. There might be alternatives to granular decision making, such as creating a preference profile that allows your energy company to make decisions for you. As for distributed gaming, we are seeing submissions in the ecomagination Challenge that follow a similar line of thought. For example, have you looked at the Welectricity submission (http://challenge.ecomagination.com/home/Welectricity-Energy-Efficiency-meet-Soci)? What do you think of this, and other ideas? I encourage you to leave feedback for the Challenge participants as well.
Comment deleted
June Cohen
Feb 14 2011: Mark, you are what we refer to online as a "Super User" :-) And yes, agree that providing this level of detail for those who want it can be hugely gratifying and motivating. The key, I think, is striking that balance ...Feb 13 2011: As a judge for GE's ecomagination challenge, I want to build on Tore's use of the words "breakthroughs" and "ideas"... Some of the innovations we're looking for may be new, whiz-bang technologies, but others could be more about applying existing technology to influence behavior in new ways -- just as Arthur notes with regard to improving home energy monitoring. The real breakthrough might be something simpler, cheaper - and even fun to use!
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The key to powering the home smartly lies in a combination of (1) power generation that is cleaner and affordable, (2) helping people understand and take control of their energy use, and (3) driving efficiency. But all of this needs to be done in ways that are scalable so that we can build critical mass.
More on this here: http://bit.ly/eRhTb0Feb 11 2011: Solar water heaters have to go mainstream. They are much less expensive than photovoltaic panels and pay for themselves quicker. Countries like Israel, Australia and Spain are already using them in a good percentage of homes.
Feb 14 2011: Are there any specific innovative companies or designs for solar water heating systems you've seen that you're particularly impressed with?
Ido Dekkers
Feb 15 2011: Rodrigo is right
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living in Israel, i can tell you that here it's very simple - it's simply the law.
for a house bigger then a defined size, solar water heaters are mandatory, and there is a lot of competition between the companies here.
Also i saw a very nice invention here on TV : an Israeli company developed a small wind turbine - about 1 meter in diameter - that complements the Solar heating.
since at least here, usually there is wind when there is no sun, the wind turbine provides electricity for the electrical heating body inside the water container.
that way you always have hot water, not spending even one cent on electricity or gas.
and the option remains for the rare occasions that neither are available.Mar 13 2011: Well I'm dragging around with the idea of an energy-saving game for kids
(partial repost from http://www.ted.com/conversations/90/create_a_team_within_our_ted_c.html)
=> "Save the planet, save your allowance ; An integrated domestic edutainment game"
The basis is simple: we couple the energy that enters a house (the electricity meter, or 'smart grid' data) to a game-platform (like this Conversations, but with more level up and graphic things).
As such, any kid can play this game: the more energy he saves around the house (turning of lights & stand-by modes,...) the more XP he get's for his character.
As a bonus, the energy bills of the parents go down. As such, the kid can be rewarded with the money saved (he ought to)
=> While playing, one learns to understand energy use and conservation, becoming eco-minded. By earning the money, the kid becomes entrepreneurial. And planet and parents profit from it as well
We might need Jane Mcgonigal involved in this too ;-) www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html
This can be extended to gas and water consumption, adding 'things to improve' quests
Note: this game needs to be designed to be adaptable to multiplayer mode.
Any people ready for a startup?Mar 11 2011: biogas might be an interesting source if it can be developed.
Mar 13 2011: Great topic, Robertson!
There are plenty of biogas-based technologies both in the developing and the developed world... For static/built systems, Austria and Germany I believe are leaders in large community-scale applications, while you are more likely to see single-family systems in India or Nepal.
There are plenty of home-scale applications such as biogas stoves (an airtight recipient connected to a gas burner) that can easily be used in homes. Most of what I have seen though is either too rudimentary and DIY or requires a rather large home with a garden and animals...
Producing your own biogas and using it for cooking and maybe even water heating (with pipes going through the digester without contact between the water and the organic matter) should be feasible even for smaller households with just the organic waste they produce or maybe adding glycerol.
I think this may be a great area for bringing out new and better home applications!Mar 9 2011: DESIGN, Build and retrofit residential and commercial buildings that combine high efficiency building envelope ( insulation, windows etc). Buildings in general account for 40% of total US energy consumption. Residential houses use 60% of their total yearly energy budget on heating, cooling and hot water. Install, wherever possible, high efficiency Geothermal ( ground source ) heating and cooling system. Geothermal system has efficiency of 400% because it is using free and renewable thermal energy from the Earth. Geo equipment runs on electrical power which can be generated by CLEAN renewable sources like hydropower, wind, biomass, solar. In deregulated electric power market each consumer has an option to choose that 100% of electrial power they buy is actually generated by renewable sources, directly supporting the growth of green power generators. Check with your local power company. Locally installed Solar electric array (PV) can generate electrical power that supplements green power used from the grid. If there is extra power produced by PV it will be sent to feed the grid (net metering), giving user a credit against their electric bills. Some states use SREC credits. A Certificate gets generated for every Mega-Watt-Hour produced by PV. Certificates can be sold on the open market (now $650.00 in NJ). That is in addition to the benefit of reducing usage and getting credits for net metering. Finally, locally installed Solar Thermal systems can supply 80% of domestic hot water and excess heat can also be used for supplemental space heating. Integrate systems with energy flow controls for seamless and most efficient operation. These three are proven and CLEAN technologies that can significantly provide energy from renewable sources in our backyards. They require capital investments, paybacks are 3-10 years and with cost of fossil fuel energy payback will get shorter. We have designed and installed over 75 integrated systems in New York since 2003. All available now!
Adam Burk
Mar 6 2011: Check out the Brightbuilt Barn, http://www.brightbuiltbarn.com/
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A net-zero home with feedback of electricity use noting whether the home is using more energy than it is producing or not.
Mar 9 2011: The notion of net-zero is problematic, as it needs to be supported by a strong grid to ensure power continuity. In this case the grid can be considered a battery, which may be ok for a low renewable porducion penetration percentage, but as soon as we move to a setup, where renewable are the main prodution it is essensial that the continuity of power is maintained, and controlled.
As an example let us assume that everyone has a net-zero hous based on solar production, meaning that the entire energy usage is covered over time by solar panels. On the energy balance this is great, but if there is no storage in the setup the entire supply will fail at night where no power is produced.
So the equation is more complex than that. We need a battery! - currently we can use either the grid, thermal storage, physical batteries or the hydro plants as storage. The latter, by using surplus daytime production to pump water "uphill" into the ressevoirs, and reclaim whem needed. omly problem here is cost, as we now have 2 time the power capacity to supply the need - a heavy investment.Mar 3 2011: I think an aspect that was not really considered in the discussion was the diversity of homes (except for the geography topic, thank you for that!)
In order to develop solutions to a larger number of homes, maybe we should consider:
1. Is it a house or an apartment
2. Are we talking new construction or can we do something with old buildings too?
3. Is the home owned or rented?
4. Can we think of solutions for not-so-affluent people, so we improve their energy management as well?
I´ll try to go deeper on those 4, but there should be even more aspects to consider:
1. I think it is great to think that people who own houses should be enabled to generate part of their own electricity, just like they can plant vegetables in the garden. This reduces the enormous electricity wastes during transportation and makes people more conscious about their energy use. What about apartments though? Are there options for people who have no roof or large facade to generate their electricity? Maybe an advantage of apartment dwellers is the agglomeration of homes, where the whole building can generate its own energy on site through larger-scale technology which is also usually cheaper per unit of output...
2. After the construction bubbles exploding recently the US and Europe, I really think the % of homes that one can reach through solutions for existing homes is way larger in developed countries. In developing countries, this is probably the opposite. Now, what can my parents with their 30 year old apartment do? Change the windows, close one of the balconies, possibly put external insulation. Such activities make blocks of flats in Bulgaria look like patchwork and are impossible in countries with stricter building codes for aesthetic reasons. There should be other solutions!
Scott Brusaw
Feb 18 2011: Hi Tore,
- +1
Thanks for the mention. I don't know if you're aware of it, but we did a TEDx Talk in Sacramento last year about the Solar Roadways project: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDxTalks#p/u/0/nvWTaqUvsfA
It was a great experience and the video is approaching 5200 views.
Our current entry in the second round of the GE Ecomagination Challenge is here: http://challenge.ecomagination.com/home/Solar-Roadway-Home-Application
We'd appreciate the support of our fellow TEDsters!
Thanks again,
ScottFeb 15 2011: i would like to see some statistics about how much energy enters households in form of products. to produce a cellphone from raw materials, enormous amount of energy is required. i have a feeling that we work on the non-issue, or the less-of-an-issue when we try to reduce home electricity usage, while bringing home big bags of energy in form of computers, phones, cars, televisions, plastic wrappers and all the like.
Feb 15 2011: We agree that household energy consumption and management is just one of many challenges that need to be tackled. While the current ecomagination Challenge focuses on "Powering Your Home", the previous was a call to arms for ideas around the Smart Grid- ideas on how to create, connect and use energy more efficiently across the spectrum. You can view these ideas, still, on the http://challenge.ecomagination.com website.
Arthur Zards
Feb 11 2011: Home automation. It has been around for a while, but too expensive and too technical for the mainstream. I see the IPad and tablet generation of products making simple home automation tasks easy to set-up, and manage.(with the right technology of course).
- +1
A decent App developer and the right hardware can finally make home automation a reality for the mainstream. Cheap and easy to get started.
An inexpensive app, that can monitor home energy use, offer tools for maximizing efficiency, turn on/off your homes lights, and even compare your efficiency score vs. your friends. (yeah, take THAT Farmville!)
Feb 14 2011: These are all great ideas. Wrapping social media into these home automation technologies will have really interesting implications. The latest post to our ecomagination Challenge blog explores how social media will help cut energy bills by fostering competition. Check it out to learn more: http://ow.ly/3UYCMMar 15 2011: We are energy, I am sure we could take a page from the matrix and used the human body as a natural battery.Mar 15 2011: The answer to this question has to be the ability for homeowners to choose to buy power specifically from renewable sources.
After that being able to receive revenue for power being put in to the grid by solar panals, wind turbines, etc.Mar 15 2011: Just to give you a heads up, I do plan to present a new technology that will definitely harbor great interest to the "green" technology industry. From past experience I've learned to limit what, how much, and who to expose ideas to so please understand I will leave many details out. Initially, once my design is successfully received by the USPTO through it's Green Technology Pilot Project and I get my registered patent I plan to make a meeting with the American Energy Innovation Council (AEIC) and present an overview of the project. So you will probably be hearing from your boss of this in the future. Not sure of their most recent activities but as far as I know they are still on board with convincing the U.S. government of investing more funds into research and development of the energy sector. During the presentation, I will go over not only how this technology works, I will also show examples of how multiple industry can benefit from this. Capturing, managing and using energy at the home is only the tip of the iceberg of what this can do. It has the ability to provide use to not only the public and private sector but even the government sector also. The most unique things about this technology other than the fact it will be transitional in nature:
1. is that there will be no need to lease or buy land for the creation of this energy.
2. is that there doesn't have to be any specific global atmospheric condition for it to work, such as the blowing of the wind for windmills or the sunlight for solar panels.
3. this energy is consistently around us and making use of it for conventional use has never been thought of up until now. (it is nothing at all scifi like or mysterious)
Thank you Tore Land & TED for the opportunity of writing of this and maybe one day I'll be one of those speakers at TED talking about this.Mar 14 2011: Is it possible to create a basic home battery system that would charge on grid, then supplement energy when people are using electricity at peak so that the drain on the grid is not so constant. .. I have no idea of the engineering or science of what I am even speaking of or if it would help. or if it is already being used...just my 2 cents
Mar 14 2011: Hi Langston. I have also been thinking about batteries, and I think they could save us in many ways.
The problems with the technology right now are that for larger capacity you need very large batteries, that their technical lifetime is rather short, and that they are very toxic, and on top they are expensive. Basically, you need many expensive short-lived batteries that you can't recycle very well. Advances in better batteries will definitely be very very positive both for the grid and for powering homes...
What you are referring to I think is called arbitrage.It is also what is intended by using electric vehicles to feed electricity into the grid when the price is high and get charged when prices are low.Mar 9 2011: In order to spark more ideas, here is an approach.
We live in a spoiled socity where power 24/7 is assumed to be a human right. Many of the load scheduling and power production balancing considerations are heavily halted by this, so what if we could only be garatied power 20h/day???
What charateristics would the products in our homes have to exhibit? My take is that this is entirely doable, only very few loads needs to run always, such as fans and pumps for heating and cooling distribution. I my view the rest is a result of the evulution of power supplies as one giant interconnected gird, as the technologies of storing power (short time with batteries) are only now mature enought to rely on.
Supporting a household for 4hours per day is 100% possible with batteries. In the electricfication of Africa, this may be a needed and fully accepted approach, and may drive the evolvement of products with the needed charateristics.
The apporach would ease the peneration of renewables in the grid, as production/load balancing becomes uncritical, peak procution may no longer be needed, and transmission lines may no longer be a limit. Now we can wait for the wind to pick up, or for the sun to rise and not have to impose tough requirements on a giant complex infrastructure.
If further this is evaluated in conjunction with a matched production and load type (such as 1: solar power driving airconditioners, 2:wind turbines driveing heating - and many more - all having high concurency of load and production) setup I think we can go a long way.Mar 5 2011: All new construction should come with solar panels on the roof --- as part of the roofing. Providing your own energy is the place to start. The awareness that comes with that will help in conservation.Mar 3 2011: (Continued)
3. The renting issue. This is really a big one, and it is about incentives. If I know I will only stay in an apartment a couple of years, I am not interested in investing in infrastructure that I cannot take with me. So better windows, for example are out of the question. Yet my landlord is also not interested in installing better windows, as he is not the one paying the energy bills. We need portable solutions that I can take with me, wherever I live! Alternatively, we need better standards and maybe programs that give an incentive for landlords to invest in better energy management in their properties. Given the recent massive unemployment in the construction sector in Spain, for example, how do we redirect all those developers from construction to refurbishment of the largely inefficient housing to be found here? I really don't see the Energy Passport and similar programs work very well yet, also because they are not very mainstream in the rental market. This is probably more of a policy issue rather than a technological one, but it is part of the problem.
4. Energy poverty is a term widely used in the UK. Many people simply cannot afford efficient appliances or good quality construction, and they waste a lot of energy, which in term takes even more resources away. This is especially true for the entire former Eastern Block, where poor quality housing and subsidized energy have lead to very poor energy management practices and inefficient homes. It is also true for all places, where construction has been done in a fast, cheap way, such as in Spain. Can we find low-tech solutions for this kind of homes too?
Scott W
Feb 28 2011: I think a possible big change in saving energy could come from redesigning the interior spaces in our lives. Though that might be outside of GE's region of expertise, I'll still I'll explain what I mean.
- 0
Most modern homes are blocks, being blocks they all contain corners which largely go unused. However those corners still have to be lit and the air trapped in them heated or conditioned. However with little exception there isn't even furniture nor appliance which would need that space. If we can design out this wasted space in the structures themselves we can save a great deal of energy.Feb 27 2011: To create more efficient energy in a home, two main things must happen. 1. The climate and terrain must be taken into account. 2. Homes need to be redesigned. For example. if the home is located in a hilly region make use of the hill, location of the main door, wind conditions - if you are on top of the hill - expect a high energy bill so the terrain has to be used. If the home is in a colder area, naturally more efficient insulation, size of windows for light, room size, ceilings need to be taken into consideration. Roofs need to be changed to allow free flowing wind to generate electricity from small wind tunnels. Any inside heating devices need to be restructured to not only heat water for personal use, but continued within the house when needed. Need cooling: breezeways need to be part of a home, again depending on climate and weather conditions.
Feb 26 2011: A way to get more energy would be to create ourselves an artificial source of light (as it is the LASER's light) stronger than the sun from that to get more energy , cheaper , easier...............Feb 22 2011: I love the thought of residential neighborhoods that employ the bio mimicking concept. Structures designed by mother earth that have sustained the various climates and punishments of nature. energy is held more effectively and technologies found naturally inside plant and animal species that regulate the coming and going of the various resources. the only metric of what comes in and out of our homes is the bill we receive at the end of the month. These comings and goings could be more effectively measured and excess resources could be ultimately used for alternate processes. Just like mother nature wastes nothing, nor should we. Granted, humans are a destructive species that produces copious waste, this is another issue altogether. But if we can create homes that mimic the ingenuities of the world around us we can live more efficiently and eco-friendly. many green house projects are doing such experiments. But this needs to go past science fiction and into the realm of everyday lifestyle.
- 0
Feb 22 2011: How about long distance direct current power? ;-) I just HAD to throw that one in there!
- 0
I see several points of opportunity:
1) Point of production - full-containment geothermal throughout the Ring of Fire. Pumping water through bare drilled holes is not ecologically sound. But if you can place a fully contained heat exchanger at the heat source and use binary-type secondary exchanger that uses a more thermal dynamic fluid, you might have something. Another possibility is to invert the whole process by using solar thermal energy where the heat exchanger is above ground and the cooling chamber is below ground.
2) Transmission - all kidding aside regarding DC transmission, there's a LOT of energy wasted in transmission lines. What about using MASERS to transmit energy over long distances via repeating satellites? Microwaves lose very little energy by atmospheric absorption.
3) Energy conservation - the other major source of energy waste is heating homes. Lower the cost of producing Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIPs) and consider buying companies that produces them. If you could corner that market, gain a sustainable competitive advantage, and make it an adopted building standard, that alone would reap enormous dividends. The same goes for vacuum insulated pipes.
4) Automotive - consider getting back into the electric car business. Tesla motors is basically drawing a line in the sand, insulting you by virtue of its name, and slapping you across the face with a steel gauntlet daring you to compete against them. Are you honestly going to let ANYTHING named Tesla get the better of you? Edison will be rolling in his grave if you let this slide.
5) Industrial - lower manufacturing costs by using mirrors in desert environments to generate solar thermal energy for producing silicon-based products (photovoltaics, semiconductor devices, fiberoptics, fiberglass, glass, etc.).Feb 18 2011: Graham's point below about using outdoor air to chill refrigerators is spot on, but I don't think it goes far enough (in fact, there are minimart outside air chiller solutions already in place, and heat pumps are sort of a techno-version of what he's proposing)
We should recognize that houses are not spaces, but surfaces which separate inside from outside. The severity of this separation defines the eco-responsiveness of household living.
For example, in the Brady Bunch house, the separation was complete. Electricity, natural gas, water, and groceries were the only inputs to the system (processed into light, entertainment, warmth, cold, sterility, and dinner) and the only outputs were "waste" (waste heat, gray water, black water, and garbage). The inputs were generally divorced from the local ecosystem within which the house existed -- artificial electricity and gas, water from a reservoir hundreds of miles away, and groceries from the store via the newly constructed interstate highway system. Wastes were just as separate, pushed into pipes below the street, whisked "away" as quickly as possible.
No wonder the Bradys got canceled.
To find an alternative vision of how a house might operate in a more integrated way, you need only move forward to the present day to look at permaculture construction strategies, or back 400 or so years to the great estates of Britain. These homes (to greater or lesser extent) look at the flows of energy and matter around and through the surface of a house as potential motive forces for beneficial work. Water comes from springs on the property which are replenished through careful swale construction and vegetation management. Likewise, energy comes in the form of current solar income (solar panels, solar hot water, passive heating strategies) or stored solar income (fuel from the woodlot). Food can be grown on property, and it can be fertilized with with composted organic wastes.
Buildings are membranes. Separation means death.
Feb 18 2011: Dominic when you discuss the flow of energy and matter around and through the surface of a house I think of natural ventilation and natural lighting as a strategy for heating and cooling buildings. It is my understanding that before the air conditioner was invented, designers were skilled at heating and cooling interior spaces without "treating" air via mechanical ventilation. Homes were "skinnier", and homeowners were more tolerant of variation in light and temperature. With the air conditioner hit the scene, the 'comfort zone' model to design - which specifies a narrow envelope of temperature, humidity, airflow, and light availability that is physically comfortable for humans - began to dominate. Buildings got "fatter", and homeowners were comforted by the ability to retreat to their homes where they could create with the flick of a switch homogeneous environmental conditions.
I have heard architects discuss the inherent beauty of variation light in buildings (versus the homogeneous light provided in the interior of fat homes), and the need for greater variation in temperature in buildings (which would dramatically reduce energy costs). Do you think we will reach an era when homeowners in the developed world embrace variation versus homogeneity? What might expedite this cultural shift?Feb 17 2011: I have seen polycrystalline panels at nearly $1/watt prices. At these rates we should be
roofing nearly every house in sunny areas with panels directly. Not putting them on our roofs. But
using them AS our roofs...especially for new construction. What is needed is glass panels designed
explicitly with roofing in mind. Glass should easily outlast metal and if the attic can be a controlled environment then some creative "encapsulants" could be used (like argon filled or something so that the electronics can be
accessed from the attic.
Tore Land
Feb 17 2011: This idea reminds me of the design Solar Roadways is working on to create entire roads of solar panels. They are tackling similar questions about how glass can be constructed to handle the pressure. Solar Roadways submitted their plans in our first ecomagination Challenge: Powering the Grid last summer http://challenge.ecomagination.com/ideas/Solar-Roadways
- +2
Feb 18 2011: The current Solar Roadways entry (Round 2) is at:
http://challenge.ecomagination.com/home/Solar-Roadway-Home-ApplicationMar 8 2011: The idea of solar roadways is very interesting but isn't there tons of kinetic energy being transferred by car and truck wheels to every roadway in every minute of the day? If the surface of the road could absorb that energy being converted from gas to vehicle wheels to the road way it would recoup all of that expenditure on gas and recycle the energy to power communities around the roads. Think how much that would add up to in a major city. Maybe there would be reverse tolls eventually which paid the drivers a stipend!! Maybe an even better idea would be to combine a flexible solar panel with small pistons embedded in the material to get both solar and kinetic benefits!Feb 16 2011: Here are my ideas:
1. Home Hub (optional, but a much cleaner setup)- Create a framework/hub within the home that can be expanded on. Leviton has wall media enclosures that would be perfect for this at http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10345&minisite=10027. Design a unit that easily allows modules (plug computes) to be plugged into it.
2. Modules - Use SheevaPlugs and GuruPlugs found at http://www.globalscaletechnologies.com/p-22-sheevaplug-dev-kit-us.aspx for the necessary computing power to run certain application servers such as power monitoring, home automation, phone system, etc. These plug computers take 3 watts of power on idle (I think 8 watts max) and run a 1.2Ghz processor. http://www.marvell.com/ is the company behind plug computing and it's a completely open hardware and software platform.
The modules discussed in item 2 would plug into your home hub. So, if you want home automation server, file server, power usage server, phone system, etc plug it into your hub... easy takes 1 step. The dev kit for the SheevaPlug cost $100, but much cheaper if you order them in bulk. This is something I've been working on with the company I just started. All of this can be done today with existing technology and be ready for the masses in months.Feb 16 2011: Speaking to John Garrett's comment below: It seems like we have pretty good numbers on the amount of energy we can easily conserve, sources of energy to replace current, dirty fuels, but we don't have a comprehensive strategy for combining these two disciplines.
Maybe we should enlist economists or game-theorists to strike up incentives and deterrents that encompass both of these strategies, but on a personal level. A singular program, whether philanthropic, governmental or self-bootstrapped that combined these ideas into one program would huge in my opinion.
Feb 22 2011: For GE the smart grid is a three part puzzle, and we're exploring how we can improve all of it: how to create power, connect power and use power more efficiently. A big part of using power more efficiently is changing behavior. This is a popular topic for ecomagination Challenge entrants, as well as for people in this TED community. TED Fellow Rachel Armstrong also brought up the idea earlier in this Conversation thread of gaming elements to incentivize decision making. We think this is a really interesting idea.Feb 16 2011: The key question is, how do you get most people, who care about energy as a cost but not as an issue, to participate in intelligent energy use? Simplicity -- do whatever but don't ever let the hot water run out in my shower -- and financial gain. Pay me to participate with a portion of the utilities' savings on energy costs, and I'm there. Ask me because it's good for me, my community, the environment - and I'm not. Make it complicated, make me make lots of choices about stuff I don't understand, and we'll all just keep talking to each other while most folks go on the way they always have.
Feb 22 2011: Aren't people already financially incentivized, to an extent, because the energy cost model is consumption based? We need to work on information- making sure people know which decisions they can make for financial gain. Information can help people make decisions about which energy they source, which products they use and how they use them. The GE Nucleus, as we mentioned earlier, is part of this.
We also imagine a modern energy grid that operates two-way. Right now the grid just pushes energy out, from supplier to consumer, as it has for decades. But a grid where a home- or business owner can track and monitor energy consumption, have the information they need to minimize use and cut costs, and even sell energy back to the grid, would make economic sense for everyone. And because it saves money, it would be the fastest way for consumers and businesses to adopt sustainable and renewable energy solutions.
Mar 5 2011: I completely agree. Information, transparency and data have to be made available to the consumer in real time. GE Nucleus seems to cover the whole range of product generating data at home.
Are these type of products being targeted to the individual consumer or to the developers? I believe a double approach is critical.
Mar 9 2011: The GE Nucleus is primarily targeted at consumers but there is plenty of application for developers as well. Eventually we see Nucleus monitoring water, natural gas and renewable energy sources, as well as plug-in electric vehicle charging.Mar 5 2011: I am not certain that "the grid" is where the answer is. Devices and discussions around power generation may be better not involving connection to the grid.
Adam Burk
Mar 6 2011: You are probably aware of Google's work on a new grid. One of their ideas is based on the problem of storing energy produced from renewable resources such as solar or wind. Batteries are essentially what is needed, and Google thinks that the storage solution is cars--electric cars to be precise. This way as energy is produced it goes out through the grid and is stored in a dispersed network of car batteries. Energy flows where it is needed, and stored where it can be, when its not needed. Pretty smart.Feb 16 2011: My company, perCentinc.net, is developing a personal energy expense management software platform for homeowners of busy middle class families to reduce total energy use and spending with automatic measurement and purchase opportunities that are based on actual expenses. We take a holistic view of personal energy management for the household - by converting actual energy spending on direct energy (electric, gas, gasoline) and indirect energy (air travel, some purchases, recycling) into its energy equivalent. We provide an automatic personal energy footprint that serves as a starting point for action. Our turnkey Measure-Act-Pay platform allows the household to answer three simple questions: (1) How much energy am I using? (2) How can I act on it? (3) How can I pay for the things that I act on?
- +1
We believe that whats get measured get managed - yet busy, stressed households lack time, information, and access to financing to act in their economic and environmental self-interest. perCent provides an ongoing dashboard, energy-saving recommendations, vendor offers, and easier access to tax credits and loans to help pay for them. Our first customers will access the service through their retail bank that will market the service as part of online banking. As people pay bills online and manage their personal finances, they will also be able to manage their personal energy use automatically.
Many businesses are at the forefront of measuring, managing and mitigating their enterprise-level energy emissions. Software solutions such as Hara help them manage this "organizational metabolism." Companies celebrate success and set goals for percentage improvement (GE: "reduce absolute GHG emissions by 1 percent by 2012"). perCent Inc. hopes to help people manage their "personal metabolism," and focus on the other 70% of the US GDP (consumers).Feb 16 2011: I still marvel that today's innovators remain trapped in the centralized grid of one-way power delivery. Buckminster Fuller had it right: homes should be completely autonomous in terms of both power, and clean water/sewage conversion. I recollect that the same week the Dick Cheney was meeting secretly in the White House with Enron, Exxon, and other energy crime czars, WIRED ran a magnificent cover story on a concept for a new two-way grid. Energy generation should be both localized and easily transferable. Homes today are not designed to be energy efficient, they are still designed, as Buckminster Fuller criticized so Fullsomely (pun) to utilize the densest, heaviest, most expensive to transport materials on the planet. It's not possible to be serious about home design without being serious about comprehensive design, one reason I recommend Fuller's Ideas & Integrities to anyone wishing to do better going into the future. That was the book that caused all my past knowledge to come into sharp focus. My summary review of that book is at:
Why don't you simply give Medard Gabel the $2 million a year he needs to create the digital EarthGame, and get on with discovering the energy/time equations for everything? Here is a quick insight into his work, remembering that he was co-creator with Buckminster Fuller of the analog World Game.
Reference: Infinite Wealth for All
http://www.phibetaiota.net/2010/12/reference-infinite-wealth-for-all/Feb 16 2011: From experience, I can tell you that some "home automation" techniques currently available can suffer from the laws on unintended consequences - at least if you have young children. "Turn off that light! What do you think we are, the electric company?" Probably sounds familiar to the over 40 crowd, and - suffering through this myself I decided to install light sensors in the bathroom and low power LED lights with sensors in the hallways. The net result has been less than expected and then some: the kids don't turn off lights ANYWHERE now and turn ON the mains switch lights or scream when they're in the bath 'cause the sensor light turns off. So much for energy saving and convenience there. Where home automation has been working is in the closets and pantries (where the LED light's batteries last for six months before needing recharging).
Automating the thermostat has been mixed, since both my dear wife and I tend to suffer from insomnia (both at different times, unfortunately), so the thermostat often gets reset.Feb 15 2011: One of the best ideas for electricity saving at home and work seems to me the one of getting real time info on the usage through a smart meter via internet and be able to visualize/analize this info.
Has anybody done a serios study of its efficacy? I mean a scientific social psychology study by a reputable academic group.Feb 14 2011: In terms of appliances:
-Seems crazy to me that it's freezing outside and yet we use energy to cool down our fridges.
-We refrigerate a lot of food that we don't need to. GE could offer smart, easy to clean and use
non-refrigerated food storage drawers?
-How about pots and pans and dishware that is designed in ways that it fits efficiently in
-Everything that can nest, should. Focus on creating essential kitchenware that is really space efficient.Feb 14 2011: How about furniture, appliances and technologies that allow for us to comfortably live in smaller spaces? We have circa 3x the amount of space that we did 50 yrs ago. And an extra 3,000,000,000 sft of offsite personal storage. And we're not happier.
Every extra room requires you to design it, build it, fill it with stuff, light it, heat it, cool it, clean it, maintain it etc..The easiest way to be greener is to live littler...and it can feel good. and it's great for the environment. and it can save you money.
Would love to see things like:
expanding tables that also adjust vertically (coffee table becomes table for 2 becomes table for 10). see goliath table.
sinks that can be shared between two rooms (duplication in tiny apts makes no sense).
faucet, showerhead shareable between sink and shower?
moving walls that are safe, easy to use and cost effective in order to expand the uses of a single space.
movable seating that can be used for lounging and dining and contains storage
Feb 14 2011: Reducing your footprint is an interesting topic, especially when it comes to design. Have you seen the results of the Life Edited New York City apartment design contest? You can read more here: http://mashable.com/2011/01/27/lifeedited-design-winners/#81292-Living-in-the-Future . What do you think?


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September 3 2015 Latest news:
Early risers get out and enjoy the snow at St James Hill on Mousehold Heath in Norwich as the sun rises over the snow covered city. Stanley Hodds(2) enjoys his sledge. PHOTO BY SIMON FINLAY
Victoria Leggett
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
A further 20 schools and colleges in Norfolk have been forced to close early by the latest snowfall bringing the total to 61 across the county.
Police have warned drivers to "expect the unexpected" this morning as they headed out.
A spokesman for Norfolk Police said there had been an increasing number of crashes on the roads as commuters made their way in to work but there did not yet appear to be any serious injuries.
She added: "The inspector in our control room said to expect the unexpected. Your journey will not be smooth today.
"The road policing team are telling drivers to make sure you clear your whole car including the snow on the roof – and use your lights."
Three crashes on the A11 are causing problems for commuters. A car hit the central reservation at Mundford, between the Mundford and Brandon Road roundabouts, at about 8.20am.
It spun round and ended up facing the wrong way in the fast lane. Police said the road was partially blocked, southbound, heading towards London.
At Spooner Row another vehicle has crashed with the central reservation while a second is nearby in a hedge on the A11. They are partially blocking the Norwich-bound carriageway.
And a two-vehicle crash on the A11 near Thetford involving a Mazda and a Ford Focus has completely blocked the road. Diversions are in place.
Another police spokesman warned the fact that Norfolk had not seen a "blanket" of snow could cause problems as drivers headed into areas worse affected.
Norfolk Fire Service said it had not yet been called to any crashes where drivers and passengers were trapped.
School closures are constantly updating as more sites are inspected. Many are blaming dangerous travelling conditions and problems for staff getting in.
But some schools are embracing the icy weather.
Gaywood Primary School, at King's Lynn, is asking parents to send their children to school with extra coats and warm clothing.
In a tweet, it said: "Open as usual. Please send children with spare clothes, boots, hats, scarves and gloves so we can go onto the field. #SNOWMEN! #WOOHOO."
Train operator Greater Anglia said most of its services should be running normally although trains between Norwich and Ely are being delayed because of a problem at a level crossing.
It is causing disruption between Spooner Row and Eccles Road and 20-minute delays are expected.
Greater Anglia is tweeting updates using the hashtag #EcclesRoad.
First Buses, Norfolk Green and Konnect Bus said all services were running this morning although all have warned passengers to expect delays of up to 20 minutes because vehicles are having to take extra care in the snow and those in the Norwich area are getting caught up in queues due to minor accidents.
Steve Royal, operations manager for Konnect Bus, said: "All the buses left the depots but we have got some delays of up to 20 minutes.
"All our staff have got in, so thank you to them from us."
The Sportspark in Norwich has cancelled all its outdoor bookings today while Norfolk's library service has sent out all its mobile units to try to reach the county's book-loving communities.
Phil Garner, forecaster at Norwich-based Weather Quest said he expected just light snow showers over the next few days.
The west of Norfolk has already seen a few flurries this morning and they are likely to reach Norwich and Great Yarmouth later in the day.
But the forecaster said: "I don't think there will be a great deal more in terms of amounts today. There are some light showers coming from the north.
"We're expecting 1cm to 2cm. Showers will be very isolated overnight so no major accumulations.
"But it is going to be a really cold night tonight. Parts of Norfolk will be down to minus eight degrees. Much colder than last night and that has the knock on effect of ice.
"We will get a few flurries tomorrow and it's mainly dry for Thursday and Friday. The next risk of snow for us seems to be for Sunday with a front coming from the west bringing more organised snow across."
Norfolk school closures so far:
Alderman Peel High School
Ashwicken CE Primary School - closed due to adverse weather conditions.
Astley Primary School - School closing from 1.30pm due to bad weather conditions so that children and staff can get home.
Burnham Market Primary School - Due to adverse weather
Churchill Park School
City College Norwich – closed at 3pm
Colkirk CE VA Primary School - adverse weather and road conditions
Corpusty Primary School - The school is closing due to heavy snow and poor road conditions.
Dereham CE VA Infant School & Nursery - School is closed from 1:20pm due to bad weather.
Dersingham Infant & Nursery School - School closed due to unsafe site conditions and staff travel
Dersingham St. George's CE Junior School - Closed due to safety on site and many staff live a long way from school
Diamond Academy - Bad weather and many staff travel distances and weather forecast poor for today also. Infants also shut.
Downham Market High Schoo- Due to local travel conditions around Downham Market making it unsafe for travel and buses
Duchy Of Lancaster CE Primary School
Fairstead Community Primary & Nursery School
Fakenham High School & College
Fakenham Infant & Nursery School - Fakenham Surestart Children's Centre will also be closed.
Fakenham Junior School - School closed, staff live distance from school travel problems
Foulsham Primary School - School Closed today due to poor weather, staff unable to access main travel routes.
Gayton CE VC Primary School - Please could parents pick their children up as soon as possible due to weather conditions as we would like our staff to be able to travel home early today.
Great Dunham Primary School - Worsening weather conditions especially towards Dereham where most staff live.
Great Witchingham CE VA Primary School - Closing for the afternoon due to poor weather conditions.
Hall School - Closed due to safety concerns for Severe, Complex Needs Pupils travelling on side roads. In addition, to inadequate numbers of staff arriving to support high needs pupils at school.
Heather Avenue Infant School
Hellesdon High School - School closed at 1.45 to allow safe travel. Expected to be open tomorrow.
Hockering CE VC Primary School - Closing for afternoon due to bad weather.
Hockwold & Methwold Community School - Hockwold and Methwold Community School /Iceni Academy (both sites) is closed today due to back weather and lack of school transport. A'L exams (Biology and Economics) will go ahead this afternoon in CB2.
Howard Infant & Nursery School
Howard Junior School- Poor weather - treacherous conditions. Many staff live a long way from the school.
Hunstanton Infant School
King George VI Primary School
Little Snoring Primary School - School will be closed due to bad weather.
Middleton VC Primary School - Adverse driving conditions
Mulbarton Community Infant School - adverse weather
Mulbarton Junior School
Notre Dame High School (Academy) - Closed due to adverse conditions on site and transport difficulties, however the AS exams will still go ahead today
Queensway Infant School & Nursery - staff live along way from school unable to safely travel due to road conditions
Redgate Junior School
Rockland St. Mary Primary School
Sandringham & West Newton CE VA Primary School - Staff travelling difficulties
Sculthorpe CE VA Primary School - Sculthorpe Primary School will be closed today due to treacherous roads in the village and risk of pupils and staff getting in and out of school to high in these poor weather conditions.
Sedgeford Primary School - Conditions on hill means unsafe access to school for staff and pupils.
Sewell Park College - Due to deteriorating road conditions around the school, we will be closing at 2.30pm to allow students and staff to travel home safely. We expect to be open as normal tomorrow.
St. Clement's High School - School is closed due to insufficient staff to supervise students.
St. Mary's Community Primary School - Due to dangerous travelling conditions St Mary's CP School is closed today
St. Mary's Endowed VA CE Primary School - Closed due to weather and road conditions
St. Peter's CE VC Primary School - School closing due to bad weather conditions from 1.30pm
Surlingham Community Primary School - heating problems and staff living a long way unable to travel safely
Ten Mile Bank Community Primary School - Staff travel but open to ICT solutions
The Bawburgh School - Closing early today due to the road conditions in and out of the village.
The Douglas Bader Short Stay School For Norfolk
The Locksley Short Stay School For Norfolk - Due to adverse weather
The Rosebery Short Stay School For Norfolk - The school is closed to students due to the bad weather and safety on site. Staff should attend.
Walpole Cross Keys Primary School - Treacherous road conditions for staff and pupils
Walsingham Community Primary School - adverse weather and road conditions
Weeting VC Primary School - Due to bad weather conditions and ability of staff to get to school. Mrs Burton will advise parents about O2 trip.
Wells-Next-The-Sea Primary & Nursery School - Children's Centre also closed
West Raynham CE VC Primary School - West Raynham is closed today due to poor weather conditions and risk of pupils and staff travelling to and from school on snowy and icy roads.
Wimbotsham & Stow Community School - School closed due to heating problems, should be fixed for Wednesday
Winfarthing All Saints School – closed early due to heavy snow fall. Parents are requested to collect children as soon as possible.
25 comments
To Martin Adamms-Smith; Given that the UK very rarely sees heavy snowfall and that Germany, along with most other European countries on the continent do, perhaps that's the reason why your country can deal with it better than ours. Snow tyres are not compulsory here in the UK as we only get about 1 week of snow, if that, per year, and as you put it, we only get 1 inch of snow unlike the continent. So although you may think our world in Norfolk has 'ended' as you so dramatically put it, it has not. It has just slowed down! So perhaps stop being so smug; it's not very becoming. And as for the Hitler comment... really??!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Haven't the local kids got legs !! A bit of white stuff & it all goes to pot.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I thought Norfolk was prepared with a mount Everest of salt.I was on the A47last night at 9pm trying to get to work and a major road was almost verging on the lethal road was a white blanket icey and never saw any gritting or snow clearing. Ended up going back home aftera few slide ridden miles.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I thought Norfolk was prepared with a mount Everest of salt.I was on the A47last night at 9pm trying to get to work and a major road was almost verging on the lethal road was a white blanket icey and never saw any gritting or snow clearing. Ended up going back home aftera few slide ridden miles.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I live in the south of Germany , and my neighbours read this story with disbelief ! An inch of snow and the world ends in Norfolk . We have severe snow here every year , and in my 10 years in Germany , I have never heard of one single school being closed for any reason . Also , has Blighty never heard of winter tyres ? They are compulsory here between november and april , and they work a treat . Lucky Hitler didn´t have a snow machine , or the war would have ended much much sooner !
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Amazing! No wonder people think those who come from Norfolk are Backward! Here in Bosnia the Schools operate despite the conditions and staff make every effort to keep the Schools open......Norfolk is a joke and its about time a few people got off there Backsides and sorted this mess out!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
I was at infant school during the winter of 62 - 63 , snow was several feet thick & continued that way for months, guess how many days my school was closed? Yup - not a single day off for me!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
And an added moan I drive a Citroen 2years old that has the road holding of a wet bar of soap.New cars are so light it's almost impossible to control on any icey surface.Miss my old 340Volvo so dam heavy but stuck to the road like glue.Happy days.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
An another thing - hardly any of the precious little darlings have to walk to school anymore. When I was at school kids walked anything up to 3 miles to and from school. It's pathetic!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
What`s all the fuss about. It rained in Gorleston last night and now it has dried up completely. Bit cold but then it is January.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Has anyone seen poppy? she went out this morning and I haven't seen her again since. She normally comes in at 12:07 for her lunch but not today. Also, although i don't like people coming on my land someone has made a very lifelike snowcat in my front garden.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I think those with rose tinted, or should that be snow tinted, glasses about how schools never used to close in the good old days need to think about the situation these days. In the good old days every village had its own school and the teachers usually lived in the village. That is simply not the case these days. Teachers often live quite a distance from their place of work. My child's primary school was not closed yesterday, and I am thankful for that but I know that several of the teachers would have had a nightmare getting home last night. Having been stuck in the traffic chaos myself last night, with it taking 2hrs 40 minutes to do a journey home from work which normally takes 40 mins, if I were the parent of a high school child travelling on school bus around the county, I would not have wanted them to be stuck on a bus in the horrendous conditions, for hours with no idea when they were going to get home, so I think it is right and sensible that some schools took the decision to close early. Also, most high schools have wide catchment areas and, their physical location, particularly some of the rurual high schools, would make it really difficult to get to. I do wonder what some of the school bashers on these forums would be saying if a bus full of school children had been in an accident caused by the conditions yesterday?
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I live in the country and the main roads are fine, the back roads just need a little care, everybody else is getting to work and again the schools are closed! The teachers need to get off their backside and live in the real world. And its these people who are teaching and setting an example to our children.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
H&S gone mad AGAIN. Every year this country grinds to a halt for hardly any snow. Schools close but everyone else is expected to get to work. ARGHHHHHHH
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
It said on the news earlier that 47 schools have closed in Norfolk. Well shame on them! The sun is shining the snow is melting, what's the problem. My neighbour from the Czech Republic couldn't stop laughing when I told her. Schools still carry on as normal out there with temps of -15 to -20. What wimps we are!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Plus, if they close a school then you need a parent at home to look after the young people. With many families needing both parents at work in order to make ends meet, this is severely disruptive for a lot of people - one parent misses work for the day, so someone else has to cover for them or the work goes undone, causing issues further down the line, etc. Schools use the excuse "teachers have to travel in from a distance", but the main roads are all treated. Today Notre Dame is closed - but it's in the middle of the city and all be businesses around it are open, so why is the school closed?
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
You have to laugh at the nanny state, yet shops are forced in to closure on the high street.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Dear Carol. Please get your facts correct, before you made such ridiculous comments. The Headteachers make the call for schools to be closed, not 'teachers' as you suggest. I would also like to point out that if you read the health and safety guidelines that are imposed on Headteachers from Government, then perhaps you would understand. Would you be prepared to lose your job, go to court etc for making an incorrect call. In principle I agree that all schools should be open today. However this is always going to happen as long as Headteachers have over the top Health and Safety regulation hanging over their heads. It is the Government and Local Council you should be criticising. Not 'teachers' as you suggest, who have absolutely no part in the decision making.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Rather strange but we still do not have a flake of snow in Gorleston. Clear as anything. Blue sky and above freezing.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Thank god we used to be able to cope with snow, otherwise all Hitler would have needed was 2 inches of snow in the UK and we would have be waving the white flags. What a farce. The previous is reference to WW2 for all those that have never been to school or heard about it.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
To Martin Adamms-Smith; Given that the UK very rarely sees heavy snowfall and that Germany, along with most other European countries on the continent do, perhaps that's the reason why your country can deal with it better than ours. Snow tyres are not compulsory here in the UK as we only get about 1 week of snow, if that, per year, and as you put it, we only get 1 inch of snow unlike the continent. So although you may think our world in Norfolk has 'ended' as you so dramatically put it, it has not. It has just slowed down! So perhaps stop being so smug; it's not very becoming. And as for the Hitler comment... really??!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Snow,slow,stop,gridlock,chaos! How many have got snow chains,for these conditions......Europe cope,norfolk shut down! Schools close,yet companys are open as usual,to get the bread & milk...!!!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The Snow Caused Gridlock For Bus Communuters, I Left The Bus Station At 3:45pm And When we pasted sainsburys it was 5:10pm. Crazy! I Also hear that a police car hit someone on getlemans walk aswell.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Police have warned drivers to "expect the unexpected" as they head out today. ----------------------------------------------- Do drivers really need to "expect the unexpected" today or do they just need to expect the roads to be a bit slippery as there is snow on them.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Good grief , and they wonder why kids are leaving school unable to read and write. WHY have they closed the schools.Most roads are fine. What a joke this country has become.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
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text:
Monday, February 04, 2002Cullowhee, N.C. (Feb. 4, 2002) - Junior Ryan Lawson (Rogersville, Tenn.) scored a career-high 32 points to lead East Tennessee State to an 86-76 victory over Western Carolina Monday night at the Ramsey Activity Center. The win improves East Tennessee to 13-9 overall and 6-5 in the Southern Conference, while Western Carolina falls to 11-11, 5-6. The Bucs, who took over sole possession of third-place in the SoCon North Division with the victory, have now won three straight and four of their last five. Lawson, whose previous best was scoring 20 points versus Morehead State as a freshman, was 10-of-13 from the field, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range, and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Three other Buccaneers scored in double figures. The Southern Conference's top rebounder, Zakee Wadood (Lonoke, Ark.), registered a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Tiras Wade (Tampa, Fla.) and Jerald Fields (Gainesville, Fla.) contributed 12 points each. Fields also had nine rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. The game was a tight battle throughout the first half with the largest lead being five points on two occasions by ETSU - 31-26 at the 6:07 mark and 33-28 at the 4:43 mark. Western went on an 8-3 run to take a one-point lead (36-35) with 2:43 left in the first half. Over a minute later, estern's Kelvin Wylie hit a jumper to give the Cats a 38-37 advantage with 1:12 left. However, the Bucs' Lawson drained a 3-pointer to put ETSU up two (40-38) with a minute to go and Wadood connected on a pair of free throws to make the score 42-38 at the break. Lawson had 14 points in the first 20 minutes, going 4-of-6 from 3-point range. His play helped the Bucs shoot 51.6 percent from the field. Even though Western shot 53.8 percent from the field in the first half, it was out-rebounded 17-9. ETSU jumped out to a nine-point lead to start the second half, only to have Western answer with an 8-0 run to make it a one-point game (47-46) with 15:40). The Catamounts would tie the game at 59 with 9:47 left in the game. However, each time Western would get close, the Bucs would hit clutch shots to keep the advantage. WCU made one final run at ETSU, cutting its deficit to three (76-73) on a Wylie jumper with 2:43 left. Lawson answered with a 3-pointer and the Bucs hit 7-of-10 free throws down the stretch to preserve the win. Western Carolina was led by Kevin Martin's 28 points. Catamount seniors Willie Freeman, Wylie and Cory Largent each scored in double figures. Freeman had 15 points, Wylie 14 and Largent 10. Fellow senior Casey Rogers added a season-high 10 assists for the Cats. East Tennessee State held an impressive 41-26 advantage on the boards, getting 18 offensive rebounds. The Bucs entered the game as the worst 3-point shooting team in the SoCon, but hit 9-of-18 in the contest, while Western only made 5-of-22. ETSU will return home for its next three games, starting by hosting SoCon North Division leader Davidson on Saturday at 4:00 pm.
|Copyright ©2015 East Tennessee State Athletics. All Rights Reserved.


text: Having recorded a double DNF at the Australian GP, Caterham are determined to see the chequered flag at round two, the Malaysian GP... Kamui Kobayashi: "The second race of the year is Malaysia and it's our team's first home race of the year, so it's going to be a good week! I've obviously raced there a few times before, and finished in the points in 2011, and this year it would be great if we were able to fight for a point, but we'll have to make sure we have a better Friday than we did in Australia if we're going to have a stronger weekend at Sepang. "The way we bounced back in qualifying in Melbourne showed a little bit of what we can do, but without any real laps in FP1 or FP2 we only had a very small chance to fight. With a proper Friday and Saturday program we can give ourselves the opportunity to show the true pace of the car, and prepare much more for the race. Obviously, I'd like to also make sure I don't have the same brake problems that caused the accident in turn one in Australia - without that I think we'd have had a strong race and we'll work as hard as we can to give ourselves the chance to really perform. "Off track we're going to be busy, especially on Tuesday when I'm at a Renault event at Sepang and on Wednesday when we have a very packed schedule meeting sponsors and fans. We'll be at the Pavilion Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday afternoon from about 2pm meeting our fans so if anyone is in KL that afternoon they should come along! We're also going to see AirAsia's head office on Wednesday afternoon and meet their staff, so it'll be good to see one of Tony's other teams in action!" Marcus Ericsson: "I can't wait to get back in the car, especially after having a really good race until the oil pressure problem forced us to stop in Australia. It's been great to read so many nice comments about what we did in the race after such a bad Friday, but now I want to get on with it again and go straight back to work. "Sepang's a track I've already raced on, so that's obviously an advantage over Australia. I really like the heat and have trained hard all through the winter to prepare for races like Malaysia, so I'll be 100% ready physically, but I'm still just loving being in F1 and for race two to be a home race for Caterham and on a track I know and like, that's just really good for me. It'll be great to see how much Caterham means to the Malaysian fans, and I've been told the autograph session on Wednesday in KL and on Sunday on track will be some of the real highlights of the year, so there's a lot to be excited about! "We obviously need a stronger weekend on track overall, and I know they guys back at the factory and at Renault have been working flat out to help us do so. Our race pace in Australia was pretty good, but with a full Friday and not having to use FP3 to catch up, I think we can start to unlock the real performance of this year's car. If we can do that, and with the work being put in by everyone, there's no reason why we shouldn't, I think Malaysia could be a strong weekend for our team."


text:
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