Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Gets Green Makeover

When the ball drops tonight in Times Square, New Year’s Eve revelers will get an up-close view of its energy-efficient makeover.  The 12-foot sphere will be double the size of previous balls yet use even less energy thanks to the 32,256 LED lights that will cover it. The new ball will become a year-round attraction above Times Square, in full public view January through December.

From Times Square NYC via Inhabitat:

PHILIPS LIGHTING provided the new solid state lighting technology for the Ball, resulting in an astounding increase in impact, energy efficiency, and color capabilities.  Capable of creating a palette of more than 16 million colors and billions of possible patterns, the 32,256 Philips Luxeon LEDs in this year’s Ball represent more than three times the number of LEDS used last year, to deliver a brighter and more beautiful New Year’s experience than ever before. And this year’s Ball is 10-20% more energy efficient than last year’s already energy-efficient Ball, consuming only the same amount of energy per hour as it would take to operate two traditional home ovens.

“At Philips Lighting, we are proud to be driving innovative and energy-efficient solutions for the world’s broad range of lighting applications - from celebrated landmarks to consumers’ homes — and we’re especially delighted to be the official Lighting Partner to the iconic New Year’s Eve Ball in Times Square,” said Philips Lighting Company Director of Corporate Communications Susan Bloom.  “Now bigger in size and incorporating even more powerful and energy-efficient Philips Luxeon LEDs than last year, this year’s Ball will deliver a New Year’s Eve experience that will be brighter, more beautiful, and more sustainable than ever before.”

Considering that LEDs are brighter and more vibrant than the incandescent bulbs that were previously used, it only makes sense. This year’s ball should be even more beautiful than ever, and hopefully as it drops it’ll usher in a green, sustainable 2009.

Link [Times Square NYC] via [Inhabitat]

Most Eco-Unfriendly Holiday Décor

While you’re putting up your holiday décor, trimming the tree and wrapping your gifts, the environment may not in the forefront of your thoughts. But during the holiday season, we create more waste and consume far more power than any other time of the year. You may not have covered your entire house in blinking lights that stay on day and night, but there are still common elements of holiday décor that aren’t exactly eco-friendly. Here’s Newsweek’s list of the most environmentally damaging holiday paraphernalia:

Artificial Christmas Trees. While the upshot of fake trees is that you can use them for many years, when it comes time to toss them, they’re tough to recycle. Most are made of nonbiodegradable polyvinyl chloride (PVC.) It’s better to buy a real tree, says Lori Bongiorno author of the environmental guide “Green, Greener, Greenest.” But she warns that not all live trees are equally eco-friendly. “Buy live trees from a farm as close to home as possible so you cut down on emissions for transportation. If you can find a tree that’s both local and organic that’s even better,” she says.

Tinsel. This shiny silver stuff needs to be removed before you can recycle your tree, but it can be tricky to pick all of it off the branches. “Christmas trees are composed or mulched and tinsel won’t break down in this process,” says Bongiorno. “If you send a tree that still has tinsel on the branches … your tree will probably go straight to the landfill.”

Conventional Incandescent Lights. These traditional outdoor bulbs burn up to nine times more energy than light emitting diode lights (LEDs.) Though they cost a bit more, LEDs produce less heat, last longer and shine brighter from one holiday to the next.

Store-bought Ornaments. Those shiny new glass balls and plastic reindeer figurines might be relatively cheap to buy, but when you tally up the raw materials, manufacturing and (usually international) transportation they require, they’re environmentally costly. If your tree is bare, you’re better off buying local, trimming the tree with homemade ornaments or scouting for natural decorations by hanging painted pinecones or berries.

Wrapping Paper. It’s may be pretty, but it’s wasteful to spend a lot on something that ends up torn and crumpled on Christmas morning. Some alternatives to fancy wrapping: use newspaper or old cereal boxes to conceal gifts. Danny Seo, author of “Simply Green Giving” suggests using brown paper bags decorated with red, black and white electrical tape. With a little creativity and craftiness, he says “the end result looks like Burberry gift wrap.”

Electric Window Candles. These need to be plugged in, so they burn energy all through the night (especially if you have lots of windows.) And they’re a dangerous if placed too close to curtains. Bongiorno suggests using LED candles instead. “They’re difficult to break, last a long time, and they don’t get as hot as conventional bulbs so they’re less likely to cause fires.”

Spray-On Snow. Even if you’re yearning for a white Christmas, frosting your windows with faux snow can contribute to air pollution. “[It comes in] an aerosol can and is made from chemicals,” says Seo. Need we say more?

Inflatable Lawn Ornaments. Kids love them, but these giant billowing figures require a constant stream of electric-fan power to remain upright. According to the nonprofit green consulting firm, Efficiency Vermont, it’s best to cut the electricity when dark falls, let Santa deflate overnight, and plump him back up again in the morning.

These are decent tips, but I’ve got a quibble or two: please don’t use electrical tape to decorate brown kraft wrapping paper. Talk about wasteful. Reusable baskets, bags and boxes are a far better choice.

And instead of just shutting off your stupid inflatable lawn ornament at night, how about not buying one in the first place? Then you have a valid excuse not to stand in your front yard in the freezing cold wrestling with and swearing at a giant floppy piece of plastic.

Link [MSNBC]

Energy Star Eyes Power-Hogging Gaming Consoles

Gaming consoles have gotten a rep for energy hogging as of late, and Energy Star is finally starting to take notice. The new 5.0 Energy Star requirements will set more stringent standards for the power consumption of the devices, including Wii, Xbox and Playstation.  The Playstation 3 was in the news over the summer for reportedly using five times more energy in a year (turned off!) than an average-sized refrigerator.

From Treehugger:

The draft of the 5.0 version (not online yet) hopes to encourage manufacturers to get serious about better designs right quick to help limit the energy use of these widely used devices.

With an effective date of July 1, 2010, manufacturers should have some time between the new standards set in 2009 and the next round of consoles coming off the lines in 2010 to create energy efficient devices.

The new requirements include using less than one watt during off mode, and less than 5 watts during sleep or auto-off mode. The consoles will have to power down to sleep mode after an hour of inactivity. Also, Set Top Box and DVD/Blu Ray/Movie playback functions have to come within 10% of the Energy Star set top box requirements set out in April of this year.

It’s about time. We’re glad Energy Star is finally taking a look at this problem so all of the eco geek gamers out there can get back to playing Star Wars: KOTOR without guilt.

Link [Treehugger]

Green Computer Roundup: From Super Thin Notebooks to Pocket-Sized Desktops

In the market for a new computer, and seeking out eco-friendly options? We’re assuming, of course, that since you’re environmentally responsible, you’ve waited until your current PC has taken its last breath and will also be recycling it, since those are the first steps toward buying a new green computer. It’s also smart to research all of the models available.

At first glance, it can seem pretty confusing – some computers are marketed as eco-friendly, but the manufacturers have been less than upfront about their so-called green qualities. Other computers have nary a mention of eco-friendliness on their marketing materials or packaging, but beat out so-called ‘green’ computers in nearly every way possible.

Here’s a roundup of green computers, including those that trumpet ‘green’ all over their packaging and those that have received high ratings from Energy Star and EPEAT, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool. EPEAT serves up the most comprehensive evaluations of a computer’s eco-friendly attributes.

DESKTOPS

Dell Studio Hybrid PC

This ‘miniature’ desktop computer – 80% smaller than standard desktops - is definitely the sleekest, most modern-looking PC Dell has offered to date. It comes in a variety of shiny jewel tones, or you can pay an extra $130 for a bamboo sleeve (uh… okay). The greenest feature of the Dell Studio Hybrid is that it uses 70% less energy than standard desktops – great news if you’ve got to have a desktop for one reason or another (though notebooks do consume a lot less power). It also received EPEAT’s Gold rating, and meets Energy Star 4.0 standards with its 87% efficient power supply. The packaging uses 95% recyclable materials.

The Dell Studio Hybrid uses only 1 watt of power when off or in hibernation mode, 26 watts while idle and 44 watts when the system’s running at full speed. By comparison, many Intel-equipped desktops draw up to 160 watts of power when fully taxed.

Features include: Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 processor, 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB standard hard drive, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (no monitor)
Price starts at: $499
Max energy usage: 44 watts

Apple Mac Mini

The Mac Mini has been renowned for its sleek, compact design as well as its admirably low power usage. It’s also the cheapest new Apple desktop you can buy, starting at around $600. The Mac Mini is still the most energy-efficient desktop computer available on the market, drawing a mere 42 watts when fully taxed, 20 while idle and 2 watts both in sleep mode and while turned off. It’s 90 percent recyclable, and received a silver EPEAT rating. Plus, now that Mac Minis are equipped with Core 2 Duo processors, they’re just as powerful as larger desktops.

Features include: Intel Core Duo 1.83 GHz processor, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM, 80GB standard hard drive, Intel GMA 950 graphics (no monitor)
Price starts at: $599
Energy usage: 42 watt
Buy it at Amazon

Lenovo ThinkCentre M57/M57p

This PC won’t win any awards for looks, but in this case, it’s definitely what’s inside that counts. The first desktop from many PC maker to gain GREENGUARD certification, the ThinkCentre is also EPEAT-Gold rated, RoHS certified, Energy Star 4.0, and made of recycled materials from post-consumer plastics. In fact, Lenovo says the ThinkCentre contains up to 95% reusable and recyclable materials, and the packaging is 90% recyclable. As you can see in the photo, it’s quite a bit smaller than your average desktop computer.

Features include: Choice of Intel Celeron/Core 2 Duo CPU options, up to 2GB DDR2 RAM, integrated Intel GMA 3100 graphics, 80GB/160GB hard drive, includes monitor
Price starts at: $699
Max energy usage: 58 watts
Buy it at Amazon

CherryPal

The paperback-book-sized Cherry Pal is a ‘cloud computer’ which means that many of its applications run on an online server. It uses 80% fewer components than a regular-sized PC and consumes just 2 watts of power as it runs – less than many computers use in standby mode. It’s been billed ‘the greenest, most affordable computer on the market’, but like other cloud computers, it’s best for those who only need a PC for web, email and word processing.

Features include: MPC5121e mobileGT processor, 256MB of DDR2 DRAM, integrated graphics, 4GB flash storage, Wi-Fi, ethernet (no monitor)
Price starts at: $249
Max energy usage: 2 watts

Fit PC Slim

The Fit PC Slim, which debuted Thursday as ‘the world’s smallest PC’, is tiny – it could fit in your jacket pocket. It’s also pretty bare-bones, though it can handle running either Windows XP (optional) or Linux (preloaded). Incredibly, this fanless PC uses only 6 watts of power to operate. The 256MB RAM version costs just $220 sans Wi-Fi; the 512MB version is $245 with Wi-Fi but without a hard drive. There are also models available that include a 60 MB hard drive, 512MB RAM and either Linux ($295) or Windows XP ($335).

Features include: AMD geode chip, 256MB or 512MB RAM, SXGA graphics controller, ethernet port, optional 60MB 2.5” hard drive (no monitor)
Price starts at: $220
Max energy usage: 6 watts

Everex TC2502 Green PC

The $200 Everex TC2502 Green PC is a low-end economy computer that runs Ubuntu Linux instead of a Windows operating system, which are known to suck up lots of power. Sold exclusively at select Walmart stores, this ‘green’ PC isn’t quite as green as it could be: tiny components are put in a standard-size case because, as Wired noted, “research indicates that Wal-Mart shoppers are so unsophisticated they equate physical size with capability.” The power supply – a Sanhwa DR-8220BTX – has a rated efficiency of only 65%, relatively unimpressive for a computer with ‘green’ right there in its name. This PC hasn’t been rated by EPEAT.

The Everex TC2502 is meant mostly for first-time users, and the cost savings comes mainly from using open-source applications like Google Docs, Google Calendar, Firefox, Xing Movie Player and Open Office. It won’t run graphics-intensive games, and it doesn’t come with a monitor or a built-in wifi option (ethernet only), but many people will find that it works just fine.

It may not be the greenest desktop PC out there, but for people on a tight budget, it’s a great choice.

Features include: 1.5 Ghz Via C7 CPU, 80GB hard drive, DVD burner, 512MB RAM (no monitor)
Price starts at: $200
Max energy usage: 20 watts

Check out all of EPEAT’s top-rated desktop computers here.

NOTEBOOKS

Lenovo ThinkPad X300

The ThinkPad X300 by Lenovo uses mercury-free LEDs to illuminate its display, saving energy and allowing for a thinner display. Instead of a conventional hard drive, the ThinkPad boasts a solid-state drive, making it lighter, faster and more reliable. It meets Energy Star 4.0 criteria, received a gold EPEAT rating and the packaging materials are 90% recyclable.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X300 only barely beats the MacBook Air in EPEAT green points, but the reasoning won’t mean much to the average user: it got an extra point because it is compatible with a $1,200 85.5 pound solar generator/panel package. Apple also loses a point for not being open about their sustainability practices – they don’t comply with the Global Reporting Initative, while Lenovo does. So, really, the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 and the MacBook Air are right about on the same level, green-wise.

Features include: Intel Core 2 Duo L7 100 processor, 2 GB RAM, Intel GMA X3100 graphics card, 358 GB storage capacity
Price starts at: $2500
Max energy usage: 27 watts

Buy it at Amazon

Apple MacBook Air

The MacBook Air was the first computer from Apple to have a completely mercury and arsenic-free display, and its all-aluminum case is easily recyclable. The MacBook Air received a silver EPEAT rating as noted above, and is also Energy Star 4.0 certified. The circuitry is PVC-free and the MacBook Air comes with 50% less packaging materials than other laptops. The battery lasts about 5 hours, but it’s not user-replaceable.

Features include: 1.6 GHz processor, 2GB RAM, Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics card, 80GB storage capacity
Price starts at: $1799

Buy it at Amazon

Toshiba Portégé R500

The Portégé is one of the lightest notebook computers, weighing just 2.4 pounds and measuring .77 inches thick. It uses LED backlights to illuminate its 12-inch widescreen, which allows the screen to be as thin as it is – just a quarter inch. The battery on this laptop lasts 8 hours, and since the machine has no hard drive – it relies on solid-state storage instead – it uses about half as much power as most other notebooks. All of the Portégé R500 configurations qualified for the EPEAT gold rating. A notable con: the Portégé doesn’t support mobile broadband.

Features include: 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7600 processor, 1GB, 667MHz DDR2, 120 GB storage capacity, integrated Mobile Intel Express 950GM graphics
Price starts at: $1,999
Max energy usage: 21 watts
Buy it at Amazon

HP Pavilion dv6929 Notebook

The best thing about the HP Pavilion dv6929 is that it’s packaged in a really smart way that led it to win Walmart’s Reduced Packaging Award. HP, a company that has been known for some serious packaging blunders in the past, cut down the packaging on the Pavilion dv6929 by an incredible 97%. There’s no styrofoam to be seen – the notebook computer comes in a reusable bag made of 100% recycled fabric. Even better, three thusly packaged notebook computers can fit in one shipping box, which means fewer pallets, fewer trucks, fewer miles driven and less pollution emitted into the air along the way.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to spend money at Walmart or Sam’s Club to get the Pavilion dv6929 packaged this way – though the retail giant will take your old computer for recycling free of charge.

The computer itself is also a relatively eco-friendly choice: it received a ‘silver’ rating from EPEAT, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, indicating that it’s mostly free of environmentally sensitive materials, is built to last and most of its components are reusable and/or recyclable. It’s an Energy Star qualified notebook, and HP trumpets its ‘aggressive power-management settings’ which can help you reduce power consumption.

Features include: Turion X2 TL-60 dual core microprocessor, 4 GB memory, 250 GB hard drive
Price starts at: $798

Get EPEAT’s full list of rated notebooks, from Gold status on down, here.

Green Urban Myth: Can We Please Kill the Idea that Black Screens Save Energy?

ReadWriteWeb published a nice little write-up on Earth Day about the best green search engines, with a list that included Green Maven, Greensie, Blackle, Searchgreener and EcoSeek, among others. How can a search engine be eco-friendly? Well, some of them, like Green Maven, search the ‘green web’, bringing you the latest eco-news and media. Others, like Ecocho, plant trees each time you reach a set amount of searches, providing a nice way to offset carbon while doing what you need to do on the web.

Some, however, are a little slow, shall we say: they’re still running on the concept that a black screen saves energy. Blackle, Eco-find and Earthle’s black backgrounds are the only supposed eco friendly benefit to their use. Here’s the thing: unless you’re still using an old CRT monitor, it’s not even true. Call it a green technology urban myth. It’s time to give this misinformation a boot in the ass. Carl Bialik of the Wall Street Journal crunched the numbers nearly a year ago, and Bill Schindler of Panasonic Plasma Display Laboratory of America confirmed his findings.

Scientific American summed it up:

CRT monitors, which until a few years ago were the predominant models among PC users, consume more power when a computer screen is white. To confirm this, Schindler measured the energy output of an 18-inch (45.7-centimeter) CRT monitor and found it used 102 watts when the screen was white but only 79 watts when the display was black.

This is not the case, however, with LCD monitors, which have no phosphors and represent the lion’s share of every new monitored purchased in the developed world, including those used by laptops. Instead, LCD displays rely on an array of thin-tube fluorescent bulbs that provide a constant source of light to create a white screen. To make it black, LCDs rely on a diffuser to block this light. As a result, LCDs use more energy than CRTs to display a black screen. Measuring a 17-inch (43-centimeter) LCD monitor, Schindler found that white required 22.6 watts, while black came in a tad higher at 23.2 watts. With a 20-inch (50.8-centimeter) LCD, black required 6 percent more energy than white.

It’s time for Blackle and the others to make a change: they meant well, but the fact is their black search engines are actually accomplishing the opposite of their goal. They’re using more energy, and misleading people who want to help out the environment in any small way they can.

What’s even more annoying about this is the fact that this information has been available for so long. We’ve known about it since last May, and the black-screen search engines haven’t made a change. Um, hello? News flash, literally: y’all are now officially a year behind the times, and during that year, you’ve done more harm than good. It’s time to pat the black screen myth on the head, thank it for trying and quietly send it off to the place outdated eco practices go to die.

Link [ReadWriteWeb] + [Scientific American]