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Hawaii has become the first state to require solar water heaters in new homes. The bill was signed into law by Governor Linda Lingle, a Republican. It requires the energy-saving systems in homes starting in 2010. It prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Hawaii relies on imported fossil fuels more than any other state, with about 90 percent of its energy sources coming from foreign countries, according to state data.

The new law prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Some exceptions will be allowed, such as forested areas where there are low amounts of sunshine.

State Sen. Gary Hooser, vice chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee, first introduced the measure five years ago when he said a barrel of oil cost just $40. Since then, the cost of oil has more than tripled.

“It’s abundantly clear that we need to take some serious action to protect Hawaii because we’re so dependent on oil,” Hooser said. “I’m very pleased the governor is recognizing the importance of this bill and the huge public benefits that come out of it.”

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Koncept has released a new series of their I-Tower LED floor lamps. It’s good LED floor lamps becoming widely available. These lamps use the latest generation of high-power LEDs, which means they are brighter than the older I-Tower lamps, but they actually uses less power (8.8 watts). There are two models: a daylight version (~5500 Kelvin) and a warm-white version (~3500 Kelvin). The lamps have a built-in 4 step dimmer. Koncept says the lifespan of these lamps is “at least 40,000 operating hours”. They are available from Amazon for $195.

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Folding bikes are particularly efficient when used in conjunction with public transit. Unlike regular bikes, they can be taken easily on buses, trains or ferries. In fact, some transit systems will only allow folding bikes to be taken on board. I recently reviewed the Best Folding Bikes of 2008. An efficient addition to these bikes is an electric motor. For a little extra weight, you get the benefit of going up hills easily, and this is often very important to commuters who do not work up a sweat before getting into work. Let’s take a look at one of the better folding electric bikes out there: a Dahon Mu P8 custom fitted with a BionX electric assist motor.

This bike is called Dahon Conversion and it’s sold by NYCEWheels for $1899 (see photos above and below).

The Dahon Conversion weighs just 42 pounds. It can be folded in less than 20 seconds into a size roughly 13″ x 25″ x 30″.

The folding of the bicycle requires the loosening of 4 clasps and the bicycle collapses to its folded size without removing any of the wheels or adjusting any of the gears. The wires are out of the way and do not obstruct the folding and require no special attention in the folding process.

The bike has a range of 20-30 miles. This version of the bike uses a 250 watt motor and NiMH batteries. If you spend more, you can get a 350 watt motor (add $230) or lithium-ion batteries (add $300).

The BionX standard system includes a control console, a battery and a motor. The control console includes a multi-functional odometer, four assistance levels, four generative settings as well as a battery charge indicator.

You can also create your own folding electric bike. For example, to recreate the Dahon Conversion you could get the Dahon Mu P8 (about $590) and install the BionX motor system yourself (kits start at $1100). Of course you can also use other folding bikes and electric assist kits. Some kits are available for less than $500, however I can’t vouch for their quality. There’s also DVD that will tell you how to fit your bike with an electric motor — its a bit hokey but it shows the basic method of installation.

Another folding electric bike is the iZip EZgo. This inexpensive bike by Currie Technologies, will help you  pedal for 18 to 25 miles with speeds up to 18 mph. The bike weighs 53 pounds, including the motor. The EZgo has a simple twist throttle with a battery gauge. The wheels are 16″ heavy duty alloy with stainless steel spokes. The bike also features an integrated rear carrier to take some items on the go with you.

It’s available from Amazon for $649. The bike’s home page is here.

Biontague is a folding electric mountain bike, created by Electric Cyclery. It’s a Montague Swiss Bike LX folding mountain bike fitted with a Bionx PL350 electric conversion kit. The Biontague bike offers speeds in the 20 MPH range, great hill climbing assistance, and a range of up to 60 miles on a 3-hour charge.

The Montague Swiss is a mountain bike that folds for easy transport and the whole thing weighs only 43.2 lbs. A 36-volt lithium-ion battery pack is mounted down low on the frame.

The price is $2425 from Electric Cyclery, plus $100 shipping in continental USA.

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Solar energy is often used to heat water or generate electricity, but it can also be used to heat air. The SolarDuct is a new device that uses sunlight to heat air before it enter a ventilator. They are modular units that can be installed on buildings with flat roofs.

SolarDucts can also be used to remove heat from the back of traditional solar panels. Conserval Engineering is introducing the SolarDuct PV/T, which is a combination of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal in one assembly. The SolarDuct technology is based on their successful SolarWall product, which is being used by the US Army, Canadian Government, NASA, Ford, Federal Express, Wal-Mart and 3M.

^{The SolarWall at the 3M plant in Perth, Ontario saves the company about $6000 per year in heating costs.}

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A trailerbike is a one-wheeled bike extension that attaches to the back of your bike. They are an efficient way to bring your child on a longer bike ride. Your smaller companion can assist you with pedaling, while you control the steering and speed. This allows your child to become familiar with the process of riding a bike, and they can relax if they feel tired. The original trailerbikes were introduced into the market by the Adams company in 1986. They were marketed under the name “trail-a-bike”, and this is now their trademarked term. Most trailerbikes also include adjustable handlebars and seats that accommodate a growing child. See a our roundup of trailerbikes on Optimal Ride.

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Each award given to a vehicle is a feather in its cap. And that is something that they would be proud of through the years.

This should probably be what Toyota is feeling at present for the Toyota Land Cruiser V8 has just taken home an accolade during the British Insurance Car Awards. See, this vehicle has been chosen as the top vehicle in its category – the large 4×4. This awards event is part of a move that is aimed at making consumers more aware of the best vehicles that offer the best security. This has been running for four years already and this year, it was held in Thatcham Berkshire’s Motor Insurance Repair Research Center.

Peter Roberts is the head of Thatcham’s research center and he mentioned, “Manufacturers are continuing to keep ahead of the criminal fraternity – committing resources to the development of highly sophisticated systems to keep cars secure. Many car thieves are just having to give up – thanks to the industry’s continued quest to drive down car crime.”

Kudos to you Toyota!

It was recently reported that Asian car maker Nissan Motor Company would soon be launching the Nissan X-Trail’s diesel version. This vehicle would be unveiled in Japan and it would still be coming as a sport utility vehicle, except for the fact that it could now run using diesel. The event is set to happen on September this year.

According to the car maker, the Nissan X-Trail has been given a diesel engine because it has been found out that the recent developments with diesel engines have made vehicles bearing such to be more efficient with fuel. Also, they would have less CO2 emissions compared to those which run on gasoline. Nissan also did disclose that they have used new technologies with the diesel engine so that the exhaust gases would be cleaned and would be less harmful when emitted. The technologies does include the use of catalysts.

There have been no announcements though as per the price of the diesel-powered Nissan X-Trail.

The Geobulb is a 8 watt LED light that replaces a 60 watt incandescent bulb. It generates 800 lumens of light to be exact — either warm white light or cool white. This bulb has a sleeker design than some of the LED lights I’ve seen — check out that aesthetically pleasing heat sink.

The Geobulb lasts 40 times longer than conventional incandescent bulbs and 10 times longer than compact fluorescent. LED bulbs like this have the advantage of being able to be turned off and on quickly, and being able to withstand cold temperatures. It sells for $120 which, for an enthusiast like myself, is a reasonable price for a ultrarefficient light that will last 10 years or more. It’s available from C. Crane and Computer Gear.

Advertisement: $240 LCD Monitor from Acer, rated 4.5 stars by Amazon buyers.

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The Ford Motor Company sure is going to be reaping in more bucks as part of an agreement that it has took part in. This is possibly one of the largest agreements on export that the car maker has ever been in. According to a report, Ford would be exporting products that would amount to around $800 million. The lot of exported products would include auto products as well as transmission parts. These would be sent over to the Asian country of China.

Aside from the mentioned products, Ford would also be sending over 30,000 vehicles to China. These vehicles would be built in North America and then shipped to the mentioned country. All of these would be coming true by next year. Alan Mulally is the chief head for Ford and he said, “This historic export agreement with China is another step in our commitment to accelerate the development of new products that customers want and value and leverage Ford’s global assets.“

In a recent announcement from Toyota Motor Corporation, the company has disclosed that they would be producing the Toyota Camry Hybrid in its plant in Thailand. Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. would be the company’s arm which would be responsible for creating this ride. The company did continue to share that such a decision has been part of their efforts to be able to make hybrid vehicles more popular compared to what they are now.

Mitsuhiro Sonoda is the president of Toyota’s Thailand arm and he said, “Thailand is the first ASEAN country to build hybrid vehicles. As the Camry has received a warm welcome from Thai customers, we are sure these customers will be satisfied not only with the product but also with its environmental performance.”

Although hybrids are already popular nowadays, it surely would not hurt to see more people recognizing just what hybrids can do to help the environment.