Ecorazzi

Pay attention, NYC. Your tree is looking a little less green compared to the one out in LA. Last night, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger flipped the switch on an energy efficient Christmas tree powered by a 1KW Hydrogen Fuel Cell. Now, whether or not you believe in the coming ‘hydrogen economy’ (It will be here in 10-15 years. No really, stop laughing.) using this technology to power a massive Christmas tree is pretty cool. Useless, of course, in application — but in the scheme of things, highlighting any energy efficient future tech is a smart move. People pay attention to pretty things that glow. From the article,

“California leads the nation in energy efficiency standards. Once again, California is a pioneer in protecting our environment with this tree, which is powered entirely by a clean, zero-emission power source,” said Governor Schwarzenegger.

The tree’s energy-efficient, light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs will be powered exclusively by a small hydrogen fuel cell system, which allows the lights to shine without using any electricity from the power grid. The fuel cell is a clean, zero-emission energy source and introduces no pollution into the environment, only emitting pure water.”

Would be pretty neat if the water from the fuel cell went right back into the tree for a tidy closed system. Kudos to California for again showing the rest of the U.S. that the holidays can, in fact, be a green time of year.

via :: Hydrogen Cars and Vehicles Blog

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