tech

Aptera, USA

Aptera Motors Inc. is a small company in Carlsbad, California, USA. They developed a revolutionary car concept, based on light weight and aerodynamics. An Aptera uses only 8 kWh of electricity for 100 km (equilant of 0.8 liters of fuel for the same distance). Latest news say that Aptera should be available to buy in 2011 for a price between 13000 and 26000 Euros (depending on the accessories and batteries).

Your profit driving an Aptera

• Save 500 Euros per 10000 km compared to a petrol (when using solar energy at 36 cents/kWh)
• Save 500 Euros per year in taxes and insurance (in Switzerland for example) compared to owning a petrol car.

Cool Home, Malaysia

Imagine coming home on a hot day, and your home is cooled down already, and you don't have to pay a single cent for the air conditioner! Geniuous architect Lincoln Lee from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has invented a house just like this, by using car tyres as conductors. The tyres act as a heat sink for the building by absorbing heat from its surrounding.

Your profit: 

• Save 200 Euros per month on electricity bills (in Malaysia for example)
• No more sneezing and getting a cold from air conditioners 

In New Zealand, since more than 40 years, geothermal resources have soothed bodies, and warmed homes and hotels and supplied process heat for commercial and industrial applications. This energy resource is clean and abundant. Geothermal energy is our largest source of renewable energy, that so far has been most ignored.

Your profit:

• We can abandon coal, as well as nuclear power. The potential of geothermal is just huge!

Swiss architect Werner Schmidt came up with the idea to use straw bales for structure as well as for insulation of a house. His homes are cheaper to build and use no heating, because the sunshine that come through the window does it all. His houses are built with organic materials, eliminating the need for CO2-intensiv cements. Despite using organice materials, Werner is sure that his homes will last (almost) forever.

Your profit:

• Save between 5-10 % of the building costs (compared to a conventional house)
• Save 100 % of the costs for heating
• Use local building materials only

Buy solar cells and make money at the same time? Sounds unreal, but in Germany and in many other countries this is a business for thousands of families and individuals. The price for a solar power plant has dropped to 2000 Euros per kW, all included. Such a solar power plant can produce 1000 kWh of energy per year.

Your profit:

•  Sell each of your kWh clean energy produced for 28 cents, thereby making a profit of 7 to 10 % per year on your investment.
• Everyone with a roof can participate. 
• Modern solar cells have a guarantee of up to 25 years, but they should even work for as long as 40 years.

For more information visit the latest feed-in-tarifs (in German)

Imagine generating your own clean power from a small water power plant. The invention of Austrian company Zotloeterer has a life expectancy of 100 years, and it can power around 20 households. The investment costs are around 300000 Dollars. In Europe, there is enough potential to replace 35 nuclear power plants with such micro hydro power plants.

Your profit:

• Sell your electricity and make 30000 Dollars a year! This project makes a 10 % profit per year on investments.