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Manufacturing plants, combined heat and power plants, paper mills, oil and gas and other companies commonly have low-grade heat as a by-product. This energy goes to waste or in the worst-case scenario the company pays to cool it. It is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of all the energy used in the USA is lost just to this 'low-grade' waste heat. This presents a great opportunity that is too good to pass up, specially for some brilliant engineering outfits.
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More than 15 billion pieces of paper mail are sent in the USA alone each month, at considerable cost both to senders and to the environment, but a new startup hopes to change all that with a new, paperless alternative to the U.S. Postal Service. What used to only be sent as paper mail can now be sent without the paper.
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We’re already extracting biogas from sewage and spreading treated sewage solids on farms and open space, so it’s also possible to run our cars on biofuel from sewage, too. Specifically, running them on sewage grease. An enormous amount of grease enters our sewer systems - about 495 million gallons annually in the USA alone. Most of it gets captured and collected at sewage treatment plants.
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Plans to transform distillery by-products into renewable electricity, usable heat and organic soil conditioners was proposed by a couple ok UK companies. Following approval and order-placement, the plant would take 18 to 24 months to construct. This would be the first project to use draft and pot ale as a biomass fuel instead of wood.
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Traditional photovoltaic panels are a great way to harness the sun’s energy and provide power. However, they are limited in application due to high production cost, fragile nature and sheer size.This may soon change due to an innovative new solar film developed by solar upstart Konarka.
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Pedal-powered taxis and free love are being combined in the city of Dublin, Ireland. They offer free eco-taxi rides throughout the streets of the city. They are a fleet of modern passenger tricycles operating a free shuttle service, thanks to kind sponsors so you can enjoy the benefits of a fun and environmentally friendly journey.
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The total solar energy absorbed by the Earth in one hour is more energy than the world used in one year. So, the idea of tapping the power of the sun may seem like a no-brainer. The process of getting solar panels installed, however, is quite the opposite, fraught with specs, technical details and terms like "albedo."
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The votes are in. Our readers have chosen the best green business ideas for the past year with alternative energy and internet options the most read.
Without further delay, here they are:
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The Searaser is a device invented by a British engineer that harnesses ocean wave to pump sea water uphill, from where it can flow downhill to create hydroelectricity, raising hopes of a cheap, abundant source of renewable energy. In trials the device has pumped water more than 160ft above sea level, using only the natural motion of the waves. There are now plans for a much larger version, capable of pumping to a height of more than 650ft.
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The idea of harvesting algae from the open ocean keeps popping up each time oil prices reach records. In the 1970s, several similar ideas were launched and received modest funding, both in the USA, Japan as well as the EU. Seaweed is an energy rich, sustainable resource that does not use up agricultural land.
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