Humans, for example, have more microorganisms within the body than cells, with just the intestine containing up to 100 trillion microbes, a number about 10 times greater that all our cells.
Since only a small amount of electricity is required to power the pump, compressor and fan, geothermal systems deliver up to four times more energy than they consume.
The most efficient fuel-burning heater can reach efficiencies around 95%, but a geothermal heat pump can move up to 4 units of heat for every unit of electricity needed to power the system, resulting in a practical equivalence of over 400% efficiency. To learn more about GeoExchange, select a topic from the GeoExchange Explained menu above.
Lithium ion batteries are significantly lighter and more powerful than the nickel metal hydride batteries used in today's hybrids.
According to the latest announcements from GM, the new batteries will allow the Volt to travel zero to-sixty in less than nine seconds, deliver fuel economy of approximately 150 mpg, and will last for 10 years or 150,000 miles.
A new system from SolarWall, the SolarDuct PV/T, offers a combination of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal in one assembly providing a means to heat and power from the sun with one product.