Rick Woodbury in his Tango at the X Prize showcase

Today at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association (SEMA) 2009 show in Las Vegas, in the midst of some very sweet cars, parts and accessories, it’s easy to get sucked into the shiny beauty of gorgeous machines. An unveil by color master/designer Chip Foose and builder Peter Klutt on their Super Cuda collaboration was stunning. The guys from Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) and Ford rebuilding a 69′ Mustang live for the MTV crowd had all the right glam. But what was really disappointing was the fact that SEMA’s “Making Green Cool Zone” might have referred to the Siberian-like space it occupied at the back of the South Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center. This was a shame because this area was the most exciting in terms of design, innovative engineering, and new eco-friendly automotive products.

X PRIZE from Progressive Insurance Automotive was the key sponsor for the area and a selection of cars from competing teams adorned the area. The X PRIZE awards 10 million dollars in prizes to the teams that win a multi-stage competition for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 miles per gallon energy equivalent (MPGe).

HP2g

The vehicles on display showcased the depth of imagination and bold design. Sleek modern looks paired with the most practical of concerns for a lower carbon footprint, safety, performance, and affordability, were all key factors in the development of these new vehicles.

Just around the corner from the X PRIZE teams were folks like Doug Pelmear of HP2g. His uniquely engineered 1987 Ford Mustang hybrid delivers about 110 MPG running on E85 (85% Ethanol). He and his team made a more fuel-efficient engine using variable displacement to transition the car from running on eight cylinders down to firing on just one. He also proudly mentioned that he drove from Ohio to Vegas, only stopping once in Oklahoma for gas.

Azhar Hussain on the new Mavizen TTX02 electric racing superbike

Also unveiled today was the world’s first electric superbike, the Mavizen TTX02. This electric racing motorcycle uses an Open Source OS and is nicknamed the “laptop on wheels.” It’s also very lightweight and tight. When speaking of the role that innovative racing technologies play in bringing products to market, Azhar Hussain, founder of TTXGP (the world’s first zero carbon, zero emission motorcycle race), said today, “…competition first it’s R&D on steroids.”

With all the great new ideas being set forth, it was unfortunate that the press conference background for some of these innovators was some leftover green cloth with an 18 x 24 inch sign with a tiny Making Green Cool logo on it. In one area all the other exhibitor cars were so closely put together, it was tough to maneuver around them. You just felt bad for these guys. Like they were put in a corner and told not to make a fuss.

Okay so maybe you don’t need big fancy graphics, but when some of the most innovative work in the automobile industry is not showcased with the enthusiasm it deserves, how are we ever going to expect people to get excited and on board with greener, smarter alternatives?

Find more SEMA 2009 pictures at www.rhizomeimages.com

If you’ve recently picked up a newspaper, browsed through a magazine at the doctor’s office, or watched football games on the tube, you’ve no doubt run across ads or articles about green computing, or “virtualization” of computer systems. You may not have given this topic much thought, or maybe dismissed it as techno-geeky speak that doesn’t apply to you. However, the virtualization of computer technology can be an incredibly powerful tool for both your wallet and the planet, and it’s worth learning more about.

The web defines virtualization as “the creation of a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, such as an operating system, a server or desktop, a storage device, or network resources such as applications and shared folders.” But what does that really mean? In its simplest form, virtualization is taking one physical (real, you can touch it) machine and turning into two virtual machines. This is something like a picture-in-picture function on a TV, where the main picture is displayed on the full screen and one or more secondary channels are displayed in inset windows. If you are watching two different channels on the same TV, you only need one TV for the resources such as power and display.

Other services that help to “green” our computing include virtualizing computing resources over the internet—allowing you to use the internet to access resources that aren’t installed on your computer and could be halfway across the world. Here you pay for someone to provide you with all the resources you need to run your business without the large upfront investment for hardware and software.

How can virtualization help protect the environment?

Figure 1

• Reduced waste – If your company has 50 virtual servers running on 5 physical servers, when it comes time for replacement they are only throwing away, or recycling, 5 machines. This will help reduce computer waste that goes into our landfills. This concept also applies to the additional laptops, desktops and phones you will not need in a virtualized system.
• Use less power – 50 virtual servers running on 5 physical servers will only consume enough power to run 5 machines, not 50. This clearly benefits the environment by reducing energy consumption. Every opportunity for energy conservation eases the pressure on our power grids and reduces the need for more electricity generating facilities, such as additional substations, dams and power plants.
• Cut down on harmful emissions – Server environments tend to run hot and use a lot of cooling to make it run efficiently. If you generate less heat, you require less cooling and less power needed for that cooling. If you can work in a virtual environment from home, you would cut back on the emissions of your car and keep it running longer—further reducing waste.

How can virtualization save me money while increasing productivity?

Figure 2

If your company supports your working from home, they can save money on office space. And you personally can save time and money by skipping that hour long commute to the office, and log in right from home! Virtualization means that working from home or your business trip doesn’t interfere with your ability to get things done effectively and efficiently. If your boss needs you to revise a spreadsheet that’s on the company server and to print it on his printer, you can easily do this—from home, while traveling, or even from your phone while running an errand. Because with virtualization you can work from anywhere, any time, and from any device.

For you, this means more flexibility and productivity. And this technology is so secure that major insurance companies, medical records companies, and law firms are some of its main users, due to its reliability and secure firewalls.

As you can see, virtualization is not a gimmick but a real solution that can help companies of any size-—not 5 or 10 years down the road but right now, today.

Integral Consulting Inc. is a national science and engineering firm providing multidisciplinary services in the fields of health, environment, technology, and sustainability. We are a member of the NBIS sustainable business community and we look forward to sharing best practices and innovative solutions with you. To learn more or to share ideas, please contact DeJay Noy at Integral Consulting, dnoy@integral-corp.com, or 206.957.0350.