Work Products

New AC Refrigerant Has 99.7% Lower Global Warming Potential Than Current Chemical

gm refrigerant for car air conditioner global warming image

We talk a lot about CO2 because it is the greenhouse gas that humanity produces in the biggest quantity, but there are many others that contribute to warming our planet. The refrigerant in automobile air conditioner units is one of those. It stays in the atmosphere for a long time if it leaks, and it is pretty effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere. That's why it's good news that GM, probably followed by other automakers, will start using a new refrigerant (HFO-1234yf, made by Honeywell Fluorine Products.

Efficiency Leaders in Crystalline Silicon PV

We profile the firms that stand at the forefront of crystalline silicon efficiency, and put their plans and products under the microscope.

Canon Marketing Campaign Highlights Green Hype Problem Among Electronics Manufacturers

Canon has launched a new campaign this month to boost its line of green products intended to green up office spaces. Called GreenNation, the line-up has made its way from Japan to the Philippines and hopes to keep spreading across Asia and beyond. From these "greener" materials to improvements in energy efficiency, Canon is surely hoping their new products will raise the bar much higher for the competition in manufacturing more sustainable electronics.

IKEA to Phase-Out Incandescents Starting August 1st, 2010

First U.S. Retailer to Phase Out the Bulb Starting August 1st, 2010, IKEA will start phasing out incandescent bulbs (which are a lot more effective at producing heat than light) from its U.S. stores, with the goal of having completely eliminated the bulb by January 1st, 2011. But IKEA isn't only doing this out of concern for the environment: "The IKEA phase out will come in advance of the federal legislation that will begin to phase out incandescent light bulbs in 2012."

Smart Grid Spending To Plateau at $35 Billion in 3 Years

The smart grid has been a lumbering but steady and inevitable presence in the utility industry, with a speedy uptake in the number of start-ups interested in creating everything from energy storage technology to user dashboards for home energy consumption and a somewhat slower uptake in the number of smart grid pilot projects popping up nationwide. Less than two years ago it was expected to grow to at least $65 billion by 2013.

E-Wasted Time: The Hazardous Lag in Comprehensive Regulation of the Electronics Recycling Industry in the United States

This paper seeks to address the status of electronics recycling regulation in the US, as well as how this regulatory climate influences industry practice.

Light Bulbs To Get Nutrition-Style Labels Next Year

Late last year we reported that the US Federal Trade Commission proposed a new label for compact fluorescent lightbulbs that would show vital statistics like mercury content and the light output in terms of lumens rather than watts, which would make the brightness of CFLs, LEDs and other lighting technology more comparable among consumers. Well word has just hit that the new system has been approved and we'll soon see nutrition-facts-style labels on our lights.