Alternative

The new Tesla Roadster is getting some buzz. Being built as an all-electric car, Tesla's engineering aims to minimize resource consumption per mile. CNET News.com reporter Stefanie Olsen watched a Tesla engineer answer questions from a roomful of Silicon Valley engineers. He said his Tesla will go 4,900 miles on 1 megawatt of energy while a hydrogen car would go about 1,800 miles because of the energy needed to produce the hydrogen.

The Tesla on display was the second engineering prototype. Last fall, CNET captured video of an earlier prototype.

Tesla has already sold 180 of … Read more

There are two major problems with the current silicon panel technology used to generate electricity. For one, silicon is inefficient in converting solar energy. The thinner the silicon panel, the less efficient it becomes. Secondly, silicon panels make up about 45 percent of the total cost of current solar power installations. So thinner panels requiring less silicon would cut down on installation costs.

Now researchers in Australia say they've found a way to make silicon films, 1 to 2 microns thick, into more efficient energy converters. The trick is to impregnate the silicon film surface with small amounts of … Read more

Our CNET editors have pulled together useful information on green technologies. The emphasis is on things available to the consumer right now, and many can save you energy and money.

Our Living With Technology report has reviews of hybrid cars and energy-saving products for your home. Also there's a section on Earth-friendly downloads that can be useful. And editor Michael Kanellos produced a video to show some things you can do at home to save money on energy.

Nothing lasts forever, so we even have a guide on how get rid of tech gear when the time comes.

Three aircraft in the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) pipeline promise to change some assumptions we have about air travel--the assumption that there's a pilot in the cockpit, for instance.

In the works is an unmanned cargo plane with a 30-ton payload capacity. IAI could have gone for an unmanned passenger jet--the technology does exists--but "the world is not yet ready to be flown without a pilot at the stick," Shlomo Tsach, IAI director of flight sciences, told the Jerusalem Post. "A psychological obstacle needs to be overcome before people are willing to fly in unmanned planes.&… Read more

In Pasadena, Calif., a city in Los Angeles County, a family has made a break--and a living--refusing to be dependent on supermarket chains and fossil fuels.

It's another case for the Luddite files. Or is it? Can you really be called a Luddite--someone who rejects technology completely--when you publish a blog and your Web site gets a respectable 71,000 unique visitors and over 3,000,000 hits a month?

Jules Dervaes and his family are "seeding a revolution" one heirloom tomato at a time. They're demonstrating a way of life that may become necessary … Read more

Solar power may be making great strides in mainstream usage, but energy efficiency doesn't necessarily translate to fiscal conservation. The "Ultimate Outdoor Webcam" by DigitalXtractions, for example, runs on the sun's rays but costs $450 plus another $150 or $250 for a solar panel, according to The Raw Feed. But here's the kicker: Not only do you have to pay those exorbitant prices up front, but you also must shell out $60 a year for a "data subscription" that includes Web hosting. We think we'll keep a USB port open for the &… Read more

It's only a matter of time before phones join the alternative-energy trend in earnest, and some companies are already trying to get out front with designs before the onslaught begins. ModeLabs, for one, has released three concept designs for mobile phones that use renewable and kinetic energy, according to Electronista: The wearable "YoYo" (kinetic energy from bouncing around the neck); the "U-Turn" (energy from opening and closing the keyboard, and the "Runaway" (to be worn on the wrist and recharge itself like a self-winding watch). We have only one question: Why wait for … Read more

We're all in favor of solar energy, but it's products like this that gave rise to the phrase "too much of a good thing."

The Japan Organization for the Promotion of Renewable Energy has devised this "solar-powered fan hat," according to Tokyo-based Plastic Bamboo. It has a solar panel perched precariously on top, which powers a fan poking through a hole in the bill of the cap. (Not kidding.)

It's not that we have anything against the idea but, come on, look at this thing. Whoever is willing to wear one of these … Read more

'Tis the season for giving, all right. Just when we were whining about solar chargers being too big and bulky, Chip Chick comes along and posts an item on a solar mobile phone charger that's not only much smaller than others we've seen but could even pass as a fashion item.

True, chargers made by generic companies in China like this one aren't known for having the best track records. But given its manageable size (about 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick) and its price of $18.50--including adapters for various phones and MP3 players--we … Read more