How many tech companies can you name off the top of your head that are helping save the environment? Tech companies employ some of the world’s brightest individuals who aren’t just creating the coolest new invention. These companies produce some of the things we use every day, therefore have a bigger responsibility go green and help the environment. Below are the top 5 green tech campaigns that are making a difference in our precious planet Earth today.
1. Google’s Nest
Currently Nest makes a thermostat, smoke + CO2 alarm, and camera. The thermostat “learns” what temperatures you’ve made the house at certain times and automatically adjusts based on past behaviors. When you leave the house, it automatically lowers the temperature if you like it warm when you’re home, for example. It can also be adjusted from anywhere on your phone, so you’re not wasting energy and helping to save the environment.
2. Michigan State University’s See Through Solar Windows
Researchers at Michigan State University have created see through solar panels for homes. To make their panels totally clear, they created a transparent luminescent solar concentrator (TLSC), which uses organic salts to absorb wavelengths of light that are already invisible to the human eye. The green tech product is still in the works, but in the future it will be able to be used on e-readers, iPhones, and other electronics therefore creating solar energy from your mobile device.
3. Electric Cars
Recently, the startup Arcimoto has created an electronic car that will be on the market for less than $12,000. It only requires a driver’s license to operate but labeled as a motorcycle and does not use a steering wheel. This model is the opposite of Tesla’s, it takes out everything in a traditional car, giving the driver just the basics. This is exciting because it gives those who want to buy electric cars more affordable options.
4. LED Lighting
The new wave of LED Lighting will do more than just help you save a ton of energy. They will soon be able to find parking spots, stream movies, and change the light depending on your mood and time. The price on these has recently lowered so now this is an economic choice for many businesses and will soon be marketed as its own form of technology.
5. Desalination
Last April, a team from MIT came up with a portable desalination system that can be used anywhere in the world. Their invention worked great, was cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, and energy efficient. Earlier inventions have been made but the technology has been been far too expensive. The MIT team has been testing their system for the past few years in India and hopes to expand to other developing countries soon.
