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It is important to note is that there is a lot more out there than what we see in the everyday. In fact, you will see here that there are dozens of proven methods of harnessing the power of nature in sustainable ways. Some of the more interesting examples that may be applicable as a medium for public art installations are the translucent thin films which can be flexible and offer interesting hues and textures, piezoelectric generators that capture vibration energy, and concentrated photovoltaics, which allow for interesting play with light. But the possibilities are endless and new designs are coming into the market all the time that can be artistically integrated into beautiful sustainable infrastructure.

As shown through theory and case study, speed control of refrigeration components provides maximum flexibility, control and energy efficiency

There are several incentives for using speed control on screw compressors: - Drive control will reduce the power penalty associated with slide valve, poppet valve, or throttling capacity control. On compressors with no capacity control, speed control will eliminate other poor control strategies. - Drive control will reduce wear and tear associated with slide valve action. - Drive control allows a precise suction pressure to be maintained. With slide valve, a broad dead band is often maintained to avoid excessive wear. - Drive speed control provides compressor size reduction with the same system capacity demand.

In this ‘green’ future, electricity will comprise 40-70% of energy consumption, up from around 20% now. And a large part of this electricity will come from offshore wind farms, which the report highlights as an economically viable option for Denmark.The Klimakomissionen says many more turbines will have to be erected to cover up to half of the country’s energy consumption.Meanwhile, the energy system will have to become much more flexible and intelligent to cope with the fluctuation of wind energy.Technologies such as smart electricity meters, time-controlled recharging for electric cars and heat pumps in combination with heat storage systems will be crucial to the new energy order.The report says that biomass will play an important role as back up to wind power and to supply heating for homes, along with solar heating, geothermal energy and heat pumps, which will serve district heating systems.

One of the major benefits of VSDs is the flexibility they allow to dryer users, helping them both control costs and manage the drying process. Many dryer users specify an oversized dryer, as they may be uncertain of the initial market size for their finished products. A VSD allows them to start at 50 per cent drying capacity and then increase this as demand grows, without having to buy another machine.

The Chilean Agency for Energy Efficiency is developing an energy efficiency labeling system for new vehicles due out in 2011 and will be mandatory starting in September.  (Diario Financiero, 12/16/10)

Scientists at the University of Costa Rica are developing solar cells sensitized with dyes from local plants.  Benefits of the cells include its cheaper production price, flexibility and thinness, and ability to produce power with very little light.  However they are not yet as efficient as the present day silicon solar cells. (El Financiero CR, 12/14/10) Mitsubishi Motors will release the first electric car in Costa Rica, called iMiEV.  The car is 100% electric, automatic, is powered by a lithium-ion battery, has room for five people and will cost $61,500.  According to the company, Costa Rica was chosen for car’s release in the Americas due to its environmental record and goal to become carbon neutral by 2021. (El Financiero CR, 12/14/10)

Smart metering is a sexy topic in the energy world, with nearly all Western economies considering plans for large deployments.  It can be used in many different ways but normally there is more than one goal behind a smart metering deployment: In the US, smart metering was, for the most part, driven by the desire to reduce the costs associated with manual meter reading, to reduce peak load and to enhance security of supply. In Italy, one of the key drivers was tackling energy theft and the cost of managing meters. In Ontario, it was peak shaving and the move toward time-of-use pricing. But if smart meters have the potential to address a number of issues, that potential can only be realised by flexible system design and deployment, avoiding excessive rigidity. In this case, one size most certainly does not fit all. We fear that the UK’s current plans for a nationwide rollout of smart meters may well be taking us down the wrong path by imposing standard solutions on the wrong part of the system.