LED systems are natural choice for mountain bikers given their efficient power consumption, durable construction and distinctive white light. Finding quality LED light systems for mountain bikes under $300 isn’t easy, so we’ve scoured the net and studied dozens of reviews from Amazon, MTBR.com and retailers to find the LED systems that stand out as performance-meets-affordable. Read more on LED Light Reviews.

Sony is introducing a new LCD TV called the Bravia WE5 that it claims to be the greenest ever. The WE5 uses a new backlight called a micro-tubular HCFL backlight, which cuts the active power consumption by 50%. The television also incorporates a “Smart Presence Sensor”. This senses when no one is watching the TV and turns the picture off to save energy. The sensor detects body heat and movement of anyone sitting in a room and when no one is sensed, it automatically goes to “picture off” mode and will switch to standby in 30 minutes.

Unlike most TVs that draw power even when turned off, but the new WE5 has a special switch that can be activated reducing the power consumption of the set to zero watts when not in use.

The WE5, like most 2009 Sony TVs, carries the ‘EU Flower’, an Eco-label introduced by the European Commission to certify greener, more environmentally friendly products that comply with strict ecological and performance criteria.

The WE5 Eco TV will be available with 40-inch and 46-inch screen sizes in the UK this spring. Ship schedules and pricing for the U.S. are unknown at this time. 

Home Page: Sony Bravia

Continuing our coverage of green computing devices, let’s take a look at the greenest monitors currently available. These monitors are energy efficient, and they eliminate most hazardous chemicals from their design. Some even incorporate recycled plastic into their casings. EPEAT is the most comprehensive green certification for monitors — the EPEAT certification incorporates Energy Star 4.0 requirements, and the European RoHS requirements.

Here’s a list of some of the greenest monitors currently available:

Lenovo’s ThinkVision L Series Monitors

Lenovo is a leader in building green monitors — 11 out of the 15 EPEAT Gold Certified monitors are manufactured by Lenovo.

Right now, I’m testing their  ThinkVision L197 Wide 19″ LCD monitor, which is Gold Certified, and according to my Kill-A-Watt meter, it’s drawing 13-14 watts as I write this post. By comparison my 22″ Acer monitor draws 23 watts, while performing the same task.

Lenovo says they were able to reduce the energy consumption of L197 and  L174 monitors by reducing the number of bulbs used in the system from four to two, while adding new brightness enhancement film. The L197 and the L174 consume 25% and 35% less electricity than any prior generation ThinkVision monitors.

The L197 also has 28% post-consumer recycled content in its plastic parts, as do the other ThinkVision monitors.

The EPEAT Gold-certified Lenovo monitors include ThinkVision L151, L171, L171P, L194 Wide, L190X, L220X Wide, L174 and L197 Wide.

Link: Lenovo ThinkVision L Series

The Lenovo monitors are available from Amazon.

Dell’s E207WFP Monitor

Last year Dell announced that it aspires to be the world’s greenest computing company, and last week they announced they are now a “carbon neutral” company. This claim seems bit premature, but Dell buys renewable energy directly from utilities to fulfill one-fifth of its energy needs. Dell also boasts a new record in recycling 102 million pounds of IT equipment from customers in 2007, a 20% increase over the previous year.

Dell has one Gold EPEAT certified monitor, the 19″ E207WFP. Like Lenovo’s ThinkVisions, this monitor has 28% post-consumer recycled content in its plastic parts. Lenovo’s monitors scored slight higher overall though, because there’s still some mercury in Dell’s monitor. But overall, its good green monitor from Dell, and we’d like to see more from them.

Dell’s E207WFP is available from Amazon.

LG’s Flatron W2252TE Monitor

LG recently announced that had released “world’s most energy-efficient monitor”, their Flatron W2252TE. The 22-inch widescreen LCD claims to offer a 45% power reduction on other models. However, it reportedly draws 22 watts, and as I mentioned about my 22″ Acer monitor draws 23 watts, so the reported numbers don’t seem to add up. LG also makes no green claims beyond the energy efficiency of the monitor, so it probably contains the usual hazardous substances.

It will be released in the UK this month — there’s no word on pricing yet.

News article: SmartPlanet

This is a very efficient electric cooler based on the free piston Stirling cycle that will maintain freezing temps even in a hot car. The power consumption is only 24 watts. It’s quiet, lightweight and works great. It’s more practical than the portable compressor or propane based freezers. According to Cool Tools, these coolers are quite reliable and last many years. The cooler runs on either 12v or 110v and has a 26 quart capacity.

Available from CostCo for $390.

If the published specifications for this Nexxt washer are correct, it
is a contender for the most efficient AC powered washer available. Bosch
also claims it is the quietest on the market, running at 60 decibels.
This would allow you to install it near your bedroom, due to the low
noise it generates.

Power Consumption: 186kWh/year
Average Water Consumption: 13.2 gallons
Spin: 1200rpm
Drum Capacity: 18 lbs.

Home Page: Bosch
Purchase from: US
Appliance ($1099) or ABT Electronics ($1099)

Power Consumption: 277 kWh per year
Annual Energy Cost: $23
Capacity: 11.2 cu ft
Dimensions: 23.5" W, 66.75" H, 25" D
Weight: 130 lb.
Power: 120 V AC
Best Price: $320 (ikitchenbath.com)
also a counter-high version available at Amazon for
$139.88

Power Consumption: 480 watt hours/day or 240 watt hours /day
with insulation (70°F day)
Capacity: 7 cu. ft.
Dimensions: 18.5" W, 41" H, 28" D
Shipping weight: 138 lb.
Power: 12 or 24V DC
Best Price: $1196 (E-Marine)