What are environmentally friendly technologies?
What are environmentally friendly technologies?
Green technologies, also known as green technologies, clean technologies, and environmental protection technologies, can help save the environment through energy efficiency and the reduction of hazardous waste. Green technology innovators use the latest environmental sciences and green chemistry to reduce the harmful effects of human activity on the earth.
Green technologies are still in their very early stages of development, but many interesting innovations have already been made in areas such as renewable energy, water treatment and waste management, as well as in everyday consumer products such as electronics and vehicles. It could be as small as a handheld gadget or as wide as a new method of filtering greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.
Green technologies often include the following:
Recycled, recyclable and/or biodegradable content
Plant Based Materials
Reducing pollutants
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Renewable energy energy efficiencyMultifunctionality
Low production impact
Recently, new greentech innovations include high-efficiency LED lights that could be used to make a host of other gadgets greener, as well as promising growth in lesser-known renewables like algae oil. A company called Agilyx is working on technology that can turn plastic trash into synthetic crude oil, and flexible thin-film solar modules are one step closer to making a wider range of solar power applications possible.
By September 2011, some gadgets will be even greener thanks to new standards for Energy Star labels. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will require TVs, cable boxes and satellite boxes to be 40 percent more efficient than conventional models in order to win the label.
Big companies like Dell and Google are making notable strides forward with green technology in projects ranging from factory packaging to huge wind farms.
Google announced it will invest $100 million in Oregon's Shepherd's Flat wind project, which will provide an average of 235,000 homes when fully operational in 2012. The tech company is particularly interested in the project because it will be the first to use direct drive turbines supplied by GE.
But wind power isn't the only renewable energy Google is looking at; In early April 2011, the company announced that it was investing $168 million in a utility-scale power plant in the California desert and also bought a 49 percent stake in a photovoltaic farm in Germany. Such investments could help the tech giant sustain its energy-intensive operations more sustainably. Google currently has its own 1.6 megawatt solar installation at its headquarters in Mountain View, California.
Dell is bringing its latest green technologies closer to the home - in particular, to the homes of customers who order the company's computers. Dell has announced a new sustainable packaging strategy that will use mushrooms to create cushioning for products in transit. Grown, not manufactured, mushroom-based packaging is made when agricultural waste, such as cotton husks, is pressed into molds and then inoculated with mushroom spawning. Within five to ten days the resulting package is ready for use. Mushroom-based packaging is biodegradable, making it much more sustainable than commonly used styrofoam and polyethylene.
Green technology innovations like these will continue to have a huge impact on the technology industry, especially when implemented by companies that have a big impact on consumers.
To begin with, a refrigerant is a liquid that aids cooling by going through the physical process of evaporation by absorbing heat from the surrounding environment and evaporating. Refrigerants cool the air in the HVAC system.
Refrigerants previously used have been found to be toxic and hazardous with high global warming potential (GWP) and ozone depletion.
Some of these refrigerants are R12 (Freon-12, or dichlorodifluoromethane) and R22 (chlorofluoromethane) which were introduced in the 1930s and were known to be stable and non-flammable and could only be broken down by ultraviolet light.
Due to the problems of high global warming potential (GWP) and high ozone depletion potential (ODP), it was necessary to use a better refrigerant that would cause minimal or no effect on our ecosystem.
Fortunately, refrigerants that cause minimal or no environmental impact continue to be discovered, tested and developed each time.
What are environmentally friendly refrigerants?
Environmentally friendly refrigerants are simply refrigerants that have minimal or no harm to the environment. These refrigerants have very low global warming potential (GWP) and have little or no impact on the ozone layer.
Environmentally friendly refrigerants have the least impact on the ecosystem. They release 45% less CO2 compared to other coolants.
Top 10 best laminate manufacturers
During repairs in an apartment or in a private house, it is very important to choose the right floor. One of the cheapest and most durable materials is laminate. It is characterized by acceptable costs and can last up to 20 years with proper care. Another positive point related to this coating is its ease of installation - it can be laid on any foundation - concrete, wood, PVC, floor heating. It is environmentally friendly, does not contribute to the growth of bacteria. Before you buy such coverage, you should know the criteria by which it should be selected. Therefore, we decided, before moving on to a direct review of such products, to give the key points that should be paid attention to.
How to choose a laminate?
First of all, they look at the product class. It is able to report how well the material resists wear and tear. This parameter is determined depending on how often it will be subjected to dynamic loads - in other words, with what frequency people will walk on it and in what amount.
Class 31 laminate is best suited for rooms with low traffic, for example, bedrooms or home offices. Products belonging to class 32 are universal, that is, they are suitable for most rooms in a residential building, they are intended for medium traffic. Material classified as class 33 can be used not only in residential, but also in commercial premises with a decent level of traffic. Class 34 has the longest shelf life: in domestic conditions it can last as long as possible, storage in gyms and public institutions is also allowed.
In addition to wear resistance, this material has a number of other important characteristics - it includes resistance to moisture, various types of chemical compounds, ultraviolet radiation, mechanical stress, and so on. All this information is listed on the packaging of the material.
In order to increase the heat and sound insulation characteristics of the room as much as possible, it is possible to buy a laminate of increased thickness, especially since there are materials on sale whose thickness can reach 12 mm.
Another important point that you will have to pay attention to is environmental friendliness. Natural materials are usually used as the base, although the upper part is made of resins and impregnations, some of which may contain formaldehyde. It is best to give preference to certified European products that have the appropriate safety class and have documentation confirming that they belong to certain quality standards.
When creating our rating of the best laminate, we took into account user reviews, the price-quality ratio of the product. The overview includes only the most famous brands that are in high demand among consumers. Now is the time to start reviewing specific products.
The best European products
1.Chronothek
In the panel production process, only natural raw materials are used, including all impregnations. The modern covering layer acts as the first layer, thanks to which a reliable degree of protection against moisture penetration into the structure is ensured, and damage to the decorative surface is not allowed. The composition of the film contains all types of resins and polymers, which are characterized by high environmental characteristics.
The second layer is decorative. In its production, special paper is used, processed according to the latest technology, with a pattern applied to it, styling a coating of natural wood, stone or ceramic tiles. The paper resists fading over time or if exposed to sunlight. The main layer is HDF wood fiber board with a density of 900 kg/cu. m. The last layer is stabilization, which aims to ensure that the entire panel is as resistant to wear as possible. The panels have very easy-to-use, but quite reliable locks, which allow for easy installation;
Quality workmanship;
Excellent wear resistance.
Deficiency:
Although the material is positioned as moisture, it is better not to use it in rooms with high humidity.
2. Haro
Another product of German production and this company has been on the market for more than 150 years. The laminate itself is characterized by high ecological characteristics. Production costs are not very high, because all production is done with modern equipment and the latest technological achievements. From the outside, it is almost impossible to distinguish products from real wood. The panel format is quite suitable for working in absolutely any room.
Aqua Resist technology is included in the production process, which can significantly increase the quality of the water-resistant product. Another technology, the Akua Tech System, provides reliable moisture protection not only for the front surface of the coating, but also for the entire structure of the laminate. The material perfectly resists direct exposure to ultraviolet rays. In addition, it easily tolerates even sharp and significant temperature changes, it is not sensitive to moisture. Such panels will not be afraid of falling matches, smoldering cigarettes and so on. In a fire, it does not start burning for a long time and does not emit gases that poison the human body.
Advantages:
Universal products perfectly suitable for any type of room;
Beautiful appearance, styled like natural wood;
There is an antistatic treatment that does not allow the accumulation of dust
Convenient locking system
Increased sound insulation performance.
Deficiency:
The material is styled exclusively for wood.
3. Kaindl
Laminate belongs to class 34, has a very long service life, there are many different varieties - you can choose the most suitable products for the interior. There is practically no formaldehyde in the materials - it contains about 20 times less formaldehyde compared to the maximum allowed norm. Only high-quality wood, usually alpine spruce, is used for the production of coatings.
The manufacturer gives a fairly long warranty on its products - up to 30 years. Only the latest technologies and state-of-the-art equipment are used in production. This allows you to protect the laminate from the harmful effects of moisture, it is also allowed to lay it in any room, even in those where the humidity is constantly increased. The material perfectly resists mechanical loads - it perfectly withstands a lot of people passing by, even the heaviest furniture will not leave marks on it. The outer coating of resin does not allow damage to occur in contact with any type of chemical compounds.
Advantages:
The longest warranty period is the longest among all the products included in our review;
The laminate has all the certificates of compliance with the world level of quality;
The water absorption coefficient is almost zero;\
The package contains all the necessary information for the user.
Deficiency:
Not detected.
4. Berry Alloc
This laminate brand has been on the Russian market of finishing materials for more than 10 years and enjoys well-deserved popularity among consumers. It is produced by a Norwegian-Belgian joint venture. All products have a lifetime warranty. Laminate resists well even to significant physical efforts. The base is an HDF board that has an increased density. This material perfectly resists moisture. All panel locks are very easy to use and very reliable. Thanks to this function, the installation can be done independently. This is where the Best Lock Xtreme system is located. The panels are next to each other as strongly as possible, the seams after installation are almost invisible, moreover, dust, dirt and liquid will not accumulate between them.
The upper layer is made using HidroPlus technology, it is not sensitive to different loads, constant and dynamic. Such laminate can be installed in any room, regardless of the level of permeability. It has high environmental characteristics: no harmful or toxic compounds and materials are used in the production process.
Advantages:
Even the new coating does not have a specific smell;
Quality workmanship;
An attractive appearance that will be maintained throughout the entire period of operation.
Deficiency:
Quite expensive products.
5. Egger
These products have been presented on the Russian and European markets for more than 15 years. The company produces laminate that belongs to the 32nd and 33rd wear resistance classes, it is excellent for home use, but it can also be laid in commercial premises with medium dynamic loads and not very large ones. traffic. The technology includes the use of exclusively environmentally friendly raw materials. The guaranteed lifetime is 15 years. The manufacturer claims that the laminate is characterized by increased resistance to moisture, both from the front and from the back. The coating is absolutely safe to use, it is hygienic, fully compliant with all quality standards imposed on the coating. The laminate manufacturing technology is kept strictly secret, so only original products are on sale, which is fake.
All panels are precisely and firmly adapted to each other, they can be easily laid independently. Locks are strong and reliable - JUSTclic. They are not subject to various physical influences, the joints between the panels are practically invisible. After the installation is complete, this product cannot be distinguished from the material under which it is styled. The upper layer has some folds, which makes the imitation of wood even more natural. Here HDF board acts as the main layer, whose density index is about 800 kg / cu. m
Advantages:
High product reliability;
Long working life;
Reasonable costs.
Deficiency:
Not detected.
6. Ritter
The company independently develops technologies for the production of floors, so the products are quite original and in high demand among consumers. Products on the market not so long ago - only 9 years.
The structure is very original - the coating can be styled as crocodile skin, snake skin, silk, artificial aged material and so on.
Laminate perfectly resists the effects of ultraviolet rays - it does not fade, it does not start to fade and so on. Lying on the warm floor is allowed. The products are well resistant to the effects of high temperatures, moisture, and extreme values of these indicators. Laminate meets all quality standards in the area of service life, ecological correctness and safety of use. Even if it is directly exposed to high temperatures, it will not emit harmful gases.
Advantages:
It looks great in the interior of any room;
Interesting texture;
Many varieties of flowers;
Allows you to smooth uneven floors.
Deficiency:
Antistatic coating is not provided.
7. Chronostar
Such floor coverings have been on the market for a long time - they have been on sale for about 12 years. All products are made exclusively from domestic raw materials.There are a lot of collections and decors, which can differ from each other in thickness, wear resistance class, appearance and so on. The structure of all products is the same.
The working surface is reliably protected by a special OVERLAI polymer film that enables the highest abrasion performance. Right below it is a layer of decorative paper with the associated image. The outer surface is very pleasant to the touch and looks beautiful. In addition, it perfectly resists various types of physical activity. As with most of the laminate options included in our rating of the best products, the function of the supporting layer is performed by a special HDF fiberboard of increased density - that figure is 900 kg / cubic meter. Here, a special film acts as the bottom layer, which also reliably protects the products from moisture.
The panels are interconnected using the Double Clic locking mechanism. There is locking on all four sides, so the installation process becomes simpler - you don't have to align or adjust anything. Laminate is perfect for spacious and small rooms.
Advantages:
Quick and easy installation;
Not too high cost of materials;
Nice look;
The joints are completely invisible;
Completely protected from moisture.
Deficiency:
Not detected.
8. Quick step
This is the most famous brand of domestic laminate today. The cost is also quite acceptable. The declared service life of the coating is about 25 years. The laminate is made according to the latest technology. The coating is perfectly smooth, there are no gaps. The outer layer of the laminate provides a high degree of impact resistance. It contains melamine, which is compressed with fiberboard, and is also covered with a protective layer with nanotechnology. The decorative texture resembles wood or tile. In general, the material is made from high-quality fibers. They are characterized by homogeneity, which cannot but affect its performance.
Laminate has a high density, which is why it is highly resistant to moisture. Melamine base. Laying on a warm floor system is allowed, regardless of its nature - electric or water.