ToolBase E-News volume 131
In This Issue:
PATH RELEASES TECH SET ON HVAC, THIRD IN SERIES:
The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) has recently released its third Tech Set, "HVAC Package for New Construction - Forced Air System." This set promotes a systems design approach for new home builders that enhances benefits by pairing certain techniques and technologies. This set specifically shows builders how to improve energy efficiency, durability, and performance of the forced air system through proper design and installation procedures.
For more information on PATH and its Tech Sets, visit PATH. For more information on the technologies incorporated, visit the ToolBase Technology Inventory.
THEY BUILT THIS CITY ON BROADBAND:
According to a recent article in Builder Online (Steve Zurier, June 1, 2005), Ridge Gate community in Denver will showcase a new "Broadband City" that will support a fiber-optic network for homes in the community, as well as its offices, road systems, local hospital, police and fire stations, schools, and shops. Through their fiber-to-the-home connections, residents will have home entertainment options that run more effectively over broadband, such as HDTV and multiroom audio/video, as well as integrated security and energy management options. They will also have access to local traffic information and get medical information from the hospital all from their own network. The developers intend to build the city-wide infrastructure from scratch and will use a commercial-grade Ethernet connection that doesn't require cable or modems.
In addition to its high-tech connectivity, this community will also feature ecologically-friendly development amenities that conserve open space and provide a walkable downtown area, through the integration of innovative site design and planning techniques. For more information, read the article.
NREL TAKES QUANTUM LEAP IN NANOTECHNOLOGY AND SOLAR ENERGY:
According to a recent press release (May 23, 2005) by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), tiny "nanocrystals," or quantum dots, can produce as many as three electrons from one high energy photon of sunlight. This technology makes use of a greater portion of the sun's light spectrum than current photovoltaic solar cells - they demonstrate the ability to convert more than 65 percent of the sun's energy into electricity, compared with 33 percent among the best PV cells today. This discovery could be key in making solar energy more cost-competitive than conventional sources in the future. Researchers hope that in the future, similar quantum dot technology could be used in photoelectrochemical cells, which can produce hydrogen directly from water and sunlight. For more information, read the release. You can also find information on existing photovoltaic technologies on the ToolBase Services website.
IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE, IT'S... HAL 5:
According to a recent SpaceWar.com news item (June 7, 2005), Japan has released a "robot suit" that gives people superhuman strength. HAL 5, which is battery operated, detects muscle movements through the skin and amplifies the user's strength, helping workers lift heavy loads well beyond their normal capacity. A person who can barely do a 176-pound leg press can handle almost 400 pounds with this suit. Additionally, because the suit can move on its own, it may help older people or the disabled with mobility issues, according to its developers. HAL 5 is currently on display at the World Exposition in Central Japan. For more information, read the article.
SMART WINDOWS READY FOR THE MARKET:
A recent article on HGTVPro (Rob Fanjoy) suggests that it won't be long before switchable glazings, otherwise known as "smart windows," become worldwide in demand. These electrochromic glazings can change the amount of solar heat gain allowed through windows, or the amount of visible light that passes, in response to different conditions. In addition to electrochromic glazing, there are photochromic glazing products that have the ability to tint themselves in response to changes in the light, thermochromic glazing products that automatically change in response to heat, and liquid crystal glazing that makes glass transparent when an electric current is applied.
These products have been under development for a number of years now, but only recently began to appear in some custom and very high-end homes. For more information, visit HGTVPro, or check out the write-up on electrochromic windows on the PATH Technology Inventory.
MIT/HARVARD TEAM MAKE STRIDES IN DISASTER-RESISTANT HOUSES:
As Hurricanes Dennis and Emily make landfall this season, consumers and home builders are reminded of previous natural disasters and the need to keep increasing the options for disaster-resistant building practices and products. A recent article in Science Daily (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, June 9, 2005) featured the work of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)/Harvard engineering team on a new a low-tech solution to the problem of how to build homes in tsunami-prone areas, using high-tech engineering principles. Engineering simulations of the model, which is designed around four core columns of concrete and rebar, indicate that the design will help the core and foundation of the homes to withstand water or wind force over five times greater than a traditional concrete-block Sri Lankan home. The team estimates the home will cost about $1,200 using materials available locally in Sri Lanka, which they hope will provide some needed relief to areas devastated by last year's tsunami. For more information, read the article. More information on other forms of disaster-resistant construction and builder preparedness for such incidents can be found on the ToolBase Services site.
