Great opportunities exist to reduce greenhouse gases when we make our homes more energy efficient. Currently, there are numerous such technologies on the market, for example Bleeve, a social marketplace for energy upgrades in your home. This is just one of many ways in which businesses are using energy efficiency. This article briefly discusses other energy-efficiency businesses that specialise in solar panels, insulation and other things.
For water quality, Dymond Cleantech is an eco-Innovative, electrochemical treatment technique using diamond electrodes for effective disinfection and purification of water. Although rarely used, electrochemical disinfection is a highly efficient, environmentally friendly and inexpensive way to produce germ- and pollutant-free water.
By comparison, conventional treatment methods for high-purity water currently require energy-intensive processes, the use of environmentally harmful chemicals, and extensive maintenance. If convenience is a concern, the electrochemical method can be easily incorporated into large-scale industrial wastewater management systems and requires less maintenance than established solutions.
For cleaning solutions, Fleet Cleaner develops cleaning and inspection robots for ships. A typical robot is able to remove fouling (slime, algae, barnacles) from the ship’s hull, reducing fuel consumption by 5% for shipping companies. Fleet Cleaner leases robots to facilitate ship-cleaning services in ports. Overall, the company is the most complete in-water hull cleaning solution for shipping companies. While water and cleanliness are useful, people also want their families safe from environmental contaminants. Deciwatt develops, sells, and licenses off-grid, clean energy solutions. The company carries a product called GravityLight, an innovative device that generates light from gravity; this offers a clean, safe and affordable alternative to kerosene lamps used by over 1.3 billion people, as well as reliable lighting for humanitarian relief and disaster response. Uniquely, it has no batteries, so it can be stored indefinitely and function without solar power. Companies are beginning to manufacture this product after receiving encouraging feedback from global field trials.
Shelter is just as much of a necessity as water. Finch Buildings is a wood building company that makes healthy, sustainable real estate that is as flexible as Legos. The three main qualities of its modular buildings are sustainability, uncompromised health for its users, and endless flexibility, particularly in their ability to adapt to different surroundings and circumstances. From student housing to hotels and from care to vacation homes, the modular system enables construction of different kinds of buildings based on a central circular module.
As useful as Deciwatt and Finch are to energy, there are some products that don’t require life-altering changes but still satisfy consumers’ desire. For example, Pectcof is a startup company whose technology transforms the industrial stream of coffee pulp biomass into food ingredients and other valuable bio compounds. They use the coffee cherry biomass (skin and flesh) as raw material; the company also uses a patented extraction process to transform this biomass into valuable compounds. One of their distinctive products is a food ingredient named Dutch Gum, which has shown to be a more effective stabilising emulsion for beverages (e.g., Fanta and Coca Cola) than Arabic Gum.
Another item to which people are emotionally attached is their clothes. As such, Evrnu is a social-purpose corporation registered in the state of Washington, USA and founded in 2014. Their technology facilitates regenerative supply of high quality, bio-based fibre through recycled cotton-garment waste without compromise in quality or apparel design.
Evrnu brings together two patent-pending technologies that allow for the full recycling of cotton garments. Their garment recycling technology extends the usable life of cotton fiber while maintaining the ability to clean, biodegrade, and re-dye the waste fibers to create premium, renewable, bio-based clothing.
Finally, for those who desire energy efficiency but need to stay mobile for work, Mellowcabs operates new electric mini-cabs that provide low-cost, eco-friendly, and convenient transport services in big cities. These services can be provided through a mobile app, seamlessly connecting commuters and cabs. The passenger section of the cab can be replaced with a cargo section, making the Mellowcab a versatile delivery vehicle.
These are just several technologies worth mentioning, along with the Vortex Bladeless (dedicated to marketing devices able to capture wind kinetic energy) and Desolenator (a method of water purification). Such needed technologies are carrying the world toward a greener, healthier future.
