 Following in the footsteps of energy-monitoring software comes WeatherTRAK, software that monitors your water consumption. The new web interface comes from HydroPoint Data and allows users to monitor and control irrigation systems from anywhere.
WeatherTRAK, which just won five industry awards for smart water management, pulls data from 40,000 weather stations and creates a weather map with information down to the square kilometer. Rainfall and evapotranspiration rate are both analyzed for a particular area. The system then decides whether plants in that area need more water.
Landscape companies can program in certain data about an area, including plant and soil types and then the software will come up with a watering schedule that uses only the amount of water necessary.
The company states that in 2007, the 15,000 subscribers saved more than 6.7 billion gallons of water and reduced costs by $60 million.
This system is just another great example of how being better informed allows us to make better decisions for the environment.
via Earth2Tech
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.jpg) As consumers become increasingly concerned about their energy use and the cost of their energy bills, energy management systems and smart electronics are growing at a rapid pace. The latest to addition to the "smart" revolution? Home appliances.
GE announced last week that it will introduce energy-management enabled appliances next year. Appliances being worked on are refrigerators, ranges, washers and dryers, dishwashers and microwave ovens, some of which will be tested in a pilot program with Louisville Gas and Electric Company.
The smart appliances will be connected to a network and can be turned off and on, or have their settings changed remotely by the local utility. During peak energy-use hours, the utilities can make small setting changes to avoid overtaxing the grid. Consumers will benefit from this technology too with smaller electricity bills since many power companies are now charging more during peak hours.
The one obstacle to the success of these appliances is that local utilities will need to install smart meters connecting homes to the utility. GE makes smart meters and already has a deal with PG&E to supply them 3.3 million meters.
It will probably take a while before this technology spreads across the country, but it could have a significant impact if it takes hold.
via Earth2Tech
 Last Friday, Oprah introduced the Amazon Kindle as her "new favorite thing in the world," announcing a $50 discount on purchases made by November 1 using the code "OPRAHWINFREY." If history is any indication, the gadget is headed up for an up-swing in sales.
But can Oprah do for the Kindle what she's done for her book club selections? Even with the promotional discount, the gadget costs more than $300 and the e-reader has had a tough time catching on. The environmental benefits are obvious, but it's hard to justify the purchase when checking out books from the library is also an eco-friendly choice. And that's free. Plus there's the fact that most people are holding their dollars pretty close right now. All this could equal a moderate increase in sales, but not an overwhelming response.
Something tells me not to minimize Oprah's influence though. You have to give her credit for the enthusiasm she's created for reading. Maybe she can do the same for reading on a digital device. She has the proven ability to ignite the consumer in all of us, especially if she speaks to our conscience. Maybe next year everyone riding the subway will be listening to their iPod while reading their Kindle. Maybe.
Via Wired
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Quinquethiophene - a cute word with major implications. Quinquethiophene is an organic molecule which European scientists have recently used to develop a self-arranging computer circuit. Dago de Leeuw, who led the team of physicists at Philips Research Laboratories in the Netherlands, created the integrated circuit by fusing quinquethiophene with a carbon chain containing a silicon group at its end. The resulting semiconducting molecule can arrange itself on a circuit’s surface.
Fabricating organic electronic circuits has enticed researchers for a while. Firstly, organic semiconductors are cheaper and more flexible than silicon. The hope, though is that one day specially designed organic semiconductors can literally arrange themselves into complex structures – by simply throwing them into a beaker (though that day seems to be a way off).
According to the MIT Technology Review, the methods currently used to fabricate organic circuits include lithographic etching and ink-jet printing.
Why is it green? Self-assembly would make manufacturing circuits a heck of a lot simpler and it would save resources. Current circuits are formed by etching into a block of semiconductor material, which means some of the semiconductor goes to waste. Doesn’t seem like so much when you think of the size of a computer chip, but when you consider the number of chips being manufactured… it certainly adds up.
With new chemical processes, of course, come new dangerous and environmentally hazardous compounds. Obviously, it would be hard to approve of these organic circuits if they end up producing such byproducts… but for now, we’ll leave that problem to the green chemists.
Via IT Examiner and MIT Technology Review
As display technology moves on from LCDs to LEDs, Liquavista has gone in a totally different direction. Yesterday, the company debuted their brighter, more efficient ColorBright display using electrowetting technology.
The company claims that the displays are functional in dark and direct lighting situations, can be viewed at any angle and that they provide “TV-like picture quality” while consuming much less power than traditional LCDs. The technology is currently targeted for use in watches and cell phones, but there are plans for larger video displays as well.
The technology was developed to be compatible with existing LCD manufacturing processes, so its introduction can be quick and at low cost.
Screens are a major battery drainer, but the ColorBright display could significantly add to the battery life of your mobile device since it doesn’t rely on a backlight. This could be especially useful to devices such as cell phones, whose displays often unnecessarily drain the available power resources.
For a description of what electrowetting is and how it can produce a visual display, check out Liquavista’s website.
via Earth2Tech
Image via Liquavista
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