10 Examples of Green Technology

Engineers and scientists around the world are developing technological solutions aimed at reducing and eliminating everything that causes global warming and, therefore, climate change.

Global warming is a reality. It is a growing problem upsetting governments and society in general and is endangering health and the environment. One of the ways to fight against global warming is by means of the so-called green technologies.

Engineers and scientists around the world are developing technological solutions aimed at reducing and eliminating everything that causes global warming and, therefore, climate change.

Please find below 10 examples of green technologies that are environmentally-friendly:

1. Wastewater treatment

In this field, there are few technological developments, but the existing ones are important. Key developments include membrane filtration, microbial fuel cells, nanotechnology, development of biological treatments and natural treatment systems such as wetlands. All these processes are used to make water drinkable or significantly reduce the presence of pollutants from what is discharged into the sea and rivers.

2. Elimination of industrial emissions

As experts in the treatment of emissions, the management of air pollutants in industries can significantly reduce the greenhouse effect. Methane and carbon dioxide are substances that harm the environment. Industries such as chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, automotive, etc. must eliminate their emissions so as not to cause serious environmental damage. Our technology is oriented to create custom solutions for each company.

3. Recycling and waste management

The increase in household and industrial waste has been disproportionate. Managing solid waste is the commitment of companies as well as individuals. Outstanding technologies such as smart containers, automated food waste tracking systems and automated optical scanning technologies can help sort mixed plastics by separating them from others.

4. Self-sufficient buildings

Self-sufficient buildings are those constructions that are able to function by themselves by generating energy without the need of an external contribution. One way to achieve greater production with the same surface of photovoltaic panels is to incorporate intelligent solar tracking systems, thus obtaining an optimal use of radiation.

5. Waste-to-Energy

The generation of energy from waste, also called Waste-to-Energy, is technology that generates energy from garbage. At Tecam Group, we develop waste treatment solutions that generate energy in the form of steam, hot water or electricity that each company can later use for internal processes.

6. Generation of energy from the waves

The first wave energy management plant was built in Aguçadoura, Portugal, 8 kilometers away from the coast. The plant has a capacity of 2.25 MW and is able to supply electricity to up to 1500 homes. The installation consists of steel tubes floating on the ocean surface, measuring 3.5 m in diameter and 150 meters long, called “Pelamis”. Those components are semi submerged in the sea and are responsible for transforming the movement of the waves into electrical energy.

7. Vehicles that do not emit gases

Known as ecological vehicles, they are so called because their use does not negatively influence the environment and contributes to reducing the presence of polluting gases in the atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), unburned hydrocarbons (HC) and compounds of lead and Sulphur dioxide.

8. Harnessing solar energy

Perhaps these are the systems that have been worked on and researched the most. Examples of solar energy conversion technologies are high vacuum tube for hot water, polypropylene collector for hot water, photovoltaic collector to produce electricity and solar streetlamps, among others. All those technologies aim to reduce dependence on energy from hydrocarbons and fossil fuels and promote greener solutions.

9. Vertical gardens and farms

The installation of vertical gardens in buildings also helps save energy and brings many benefits to the environment. Vertical gardens don’t need watering routines that involve unnecessary use of water, and because they are installed along a wall, they reduce the intense hearing pollution that comes from the outside and even that one that you can generate. Moreover, it helps isolate the high temperatures that are presented by climate change, resulting in significant savings in energy, heating and air conditioning. If we extrapolate this technology to farms, we can save a lot of water and take care of the fertile soil. Today, there are vertical farms of up to 100 hectares.

10. Natural gas boilers

Green boilers are boilers that consume as little fuel as possible or use renewable energy. Natural gas, although it is also a fossil fuel, has the particularity that it emits almost no toxic gases such as nitrogen oxides, particles, carbon monoxides nor Sulphur. It releases more water vapor and less carbon dioxide. It is the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel in terms of emissions, with 204 grams of CO2 per thermal kW/h. Therefore, natural gas boilers tend to be condensed, which means that they recover the heat from the water vapor coming out of the chimney, achieving higher thermal yields with less air pollution.

There are many technological advances for industries and households nowadays, but still much remains to be done in the field of implementing measures to reduce pollution and waste worldwide.