Finding Ways to Innovate Green Technology

Environmental sustainability is such a current concept that it is often associated with cutting edge technology. But not all green technologies are new inventions. Designers and engineers are reaching into the past to shape creative adaptations of century-old techniques; or implementing a green modernization of time-tested technologies that will produce an immediate positive environmental impact.

1. Your own personal windmill

Windmills are believed to date back to the sixth century AD. Early windmills were a feat of ancient engineering, harnessing the power of wind to pump water and mill grain. Today's modern commercial wind turbines are the fastest growing energy source in the U.S., according the the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 2012 Wind Technology Report.

Now, the little cousins of these behemoth wind turbines are available as residential small wind electric systems. Rising energy costs and a number of state and local incentives have made these products economically feasible from a payback perspective. The DOE estimates that small wind electric systems can save between 50 and 90 percent in electricity costs.

Homeowners are generally best off using a grid-tied generation system that can transfer power back through the grid to the utility company. As with solar panels, utility companies agree to purchase the energy at predetermined rates. Any time the windmill generates more energy than the occupants of the home are using, the energy is sold and credited on the homeowner's bill.

Small wind electric systems are ideal for rural areas. Tall turbine towers can conflict with zoning laws in urban areas and are subject to wind block from adjacent structures. Turbines perform better higher off the ground, so it is much easier to reap a return on investment with a taller tower.

2. Let there be daylight

Before Thomas Edison, humans heavily relied on natural light for day-to-day activities. In the new era of environmental sustainability, our love affair with the light bulb has officially ended. Architects design green buildings to allow for maximum transmission of natural light, or daylighting.

Daylighting minimizes the need for artificial lighting, saving a tremendous amount of energy in commercial buildings like offices, schools, and retail spaces that typically have their lights on throughout the business day. Multiple studies have shown that adequate daylight actually improves mental alertness and leads to better productivity from students and workers.

Today's daylighting strategy goes beyond just throwing in a few more windows. Architects meticulously calculate window locations and shading to allow for optimum daylight without causing solar heat gain in the summer.

Advanced daylighting controls sense the amount of natural light present in a particular room and dim the electric lighting accordingly, ensuring that no energy is wasted and that the occupants are receiving the maximum allowable dose of productivity-boosting sunshine.

Photosensors that sense the amount of daylight communicate with a central lighting control unit that can dim lights, switch them off, or even raise and lower shades on a room-by-room basis. These can be paired with motion sensors that will communicate to the lighting control unit when a room is unoccupied. Building managers can opt to switch lights off in unoccupied rooms for further energy savings.

3. Space heater revival

Electric space heaters have long been considered an inefficient heating method. But these old preconceptions are being broken by a new generation of eco-friendly low-wattage space heaters.

The use of portable space heaters can be a green concept if they are used to heat a small area or room that is being used while a building's central heating system is kept at a much cooler temperature.

Low wattage space heaters use only a fraction of the energy of their predecessors and allow for a more consistent temperature. A commercial building with 10 low-wattage space heaters could prevent 14.58 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the course of a year when compared to 10 conventional space heaters, according to this chart from space heater manufacturer Cozy Products.

Most modern high end space heaters also feature adjustable thermostats and advanced fire safety controls.

Editor's Note: Chris Schwind is a freelance technical writer and Principal of Schwind Communications, a firm specializing in business-to-business marketing in the construction and tech industries. He regularly writes about green building, architecture and energy efficiency. He has been published in Eco-Structure, Walls & Ceilings Magazine, Wood Design & Building Magazine, Michigan Builder, Wend Magazine, Modern Materials, and Timber Framing. Connect with Chris on Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.