If cars could fly? Creativity in the quest for energy efficiency

What do the Empire State Building, Scottish seaweed, and Merino wool have in common? They are all being used to improve energy efficiency.

According to Alternative Energy News, these disparate entities are among many that are being looked at from an energy efficiency perspective, with an eye to either reducing their carbon footprint or harnessing their natural energy efficiencies.

The Empire State Building has begun a $500 million upgrade program expected to reduce energy consumption by up to 38%, with the idea that it would provide a replicable model for similar projects around the world. The massive refit is being spearheaded by Bill Clinton’s Clinton Climate Initiative, along with the Rocky Mountain Institute, Johnson Controls Inc. and Jones Lang LaSalle. When finished, the greener building will save $4.4 million in annual energy costs.

In Scotland, the European Union (EU), Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Crown Estate, Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government, are collectively investing $8 million in an endeavor to harness Scotland’s fast-growing seaweed as a reliable biofuel.  Not only could it help the EU meet its goal of 10% of all energy from renewable sources by 2020. Seaweeds harness carbon dioxide and have simple structures which make them easily converted to fuel. The bulk of this natural resource is in remote, rural, and sparsely populated areas. In addition, Scotland also has about 25% of Europe’s tidal and offshore wind energy assets, giving it leg up on other countries in developing complementary offshore renewable energy sources.

And finally, a study by the Ergonomics Unit at the Polytechnic Institute of Wales showed that individuals’ heart rates were lower while sleeping under Merino wool-filled comforters (compared to polyester-filled comforters). Wool absorbs up to 30% of the moisture. Synthetics can only absorb moisture up to 4% of their weight. Merino wool — more energy efficient than polyester, is better for you, in addition to being totally organic.

And should any of  these ideas seem to be fanciful, Alternative Energy News offers a real flight of fancy — flying cars by 2011. You’re joking, right? No. This month, students at MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics have flight-tested the Terrafugia Transition Roadable Aircraft, with a 20-gallon tank and a 450-mile range, and which runs on unleaded gasoline.

If necessity is the mother of invention, then national and state legislation retricting greenhouse gases, the declining base of fossil fuel assets, and a growing green sensibility in populations worldwide are all pointing to the necessity of alternative energy solutions. Alternative Energy News is offering a front row seat to view the experimention and inventiveness underway in the green energy sector.