This is the last Newsletter of the year. We've enjoyed bringing you all the news about technology and the environment over the past year, and we are looking forward to even more new and exciting things to come in the new year.
Electric Garbage Trucks Coming to Paris
Paris waste management is about to get cleaner. The city will be getting 12 all-electric garbage trucks by the end of 2011. The trucks are being built by PVI Electric Powertrain and will feature five strings of seven lithium-ion battery packs providing 250 kWh of energy. The batteries will have a liquid cooling system to keep temperatures in line. Each new truck will reduce CO2 emissions by 130 tons compared to a diesel-fueled truck.
Wii Crushes Other Game Consoles in Energy Efficiency
A new report from the Electric Power Research Institute looked at the energy consumption of the three most popular video game consoles -- the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony Playstation 3 -- and the Wii was far and away the most energy efficient, using one-sixth the power used by the other two.
TVs Will Get Energy Efficiency Labels in 2011
Starting in the new year, TVs will be outfitted with Energy Guide stickers much like those on household appliances such as refrigerators or washers and dryers, allowing consumers to make energy efficient choices more easily. The Federal Trade Commission is requiring all TVs to bear the stickers, which will feature the estimated annual energy cost of the TV, with a scale comparing it to other TVs in the same size range. The figures are based on a cost of 11 cents per kWh and five hours use per day.
Pickens Plan Gives Up on Wind Power
Wind energy's one-time champion, T. Boone Pickens, who was going to "save America" with his plan for a new energy future and reduction of the demand for foreign oil, has given up on wind power.
DOE Promotes Updating Building Codes
The US Department of Energy (DOE) is working with 24 states across the country to support the adoption of updated building codes which incorporate increased energy-efficiency requirements. $7 million is being apportioned in grants of $150,000 to $350,000 to assist the states, who have agreed to work with DOE, to "advance adoption, training, and compliance for the updated building codes."
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