Google’s data centers share computing resources across multiple locations, a design that’s more energy-efficient and delivers speedy app performance.

(Credit: Screen capture by Martin LaMonica/CNET)

Your Gmail box lives somewhere in the jumble of servers, cables, and hard drives known as the “cloud” but it often migrates in search of the ideal location.

Google today released an animation that answers the question: what happens when I press send on Gmail? The company created the interactive feature called The Story of Send to highlight the security and relatively low energy footprint of its data centers. The graphics repeat Google’s estimate that its data centers use 50 percent less energy than a typical data center and 30 percent of their data center energy is supplied from renewable sources, including wind and solar.

But in an interview, company representatives disclosed that Google has rearchitected its cloud infrastructure in a way that optimizes its computing resources and improves energy efficiency. They declined to say when the switch was made, but indicated this shared-resources architecture has been in place for some time.

Data centers typically have a redundant fail-over system to ensure data and servers are available for customers. Rather than mirror each data center to another location like it, Google has designed a “one to many” failover system, explained Sabrina Farmer, engineering manager of Gmail. That means if there’s a failure in one location, the load is distributed to many data centers.

Treating all of its data centers as a common pool of resources also means that an individual Gmail or Google Apps account isn’t tied to a specific location. How often a person uses e-mail, mail volume, and location of the user determines the master and back up “slave” account, Farmer said.

Her corporate e-mail is nearby in Silicon Valley but her personal Gmail is actually hosted in Europe because it provides the optimal performance, she said. Engineers track data, such as average response time, and make changes to where customer accounts are stored to improve performance. Over 90 percent of Gmail e-mails are delivered within five seconds and more than 50 percent arrive in less than a second.

It’s an efficient use of compute resources because Google doesn’t need to have a full standby system in each of its many locations. The architecture also allows Google to fully use its available resources, rather than have thousands of idle servers.

“The fact that we don’t have to have spares is a significant cost savings to running the product,” she said. “It was a major change in how we manage resources and distribute load.”

Representatives declined to attach a figure to efficiency savings but said it was significant and driven by the company’s push to improve efficiency and lower its carbon footprint. Farmer said engineering behind the move was significant but the company can now better tweak application performance by moving user accounts among locations.

“We look at users’ activity constantly and if we find you will perform better by moving your account, we will,” she said.

The Combined Charging System connector will allow for both alternating current and faster direct current charging on the same port.

(Credit: BMW)

Automakers have endorsed a connector to charge electric vehicles in as little as 15 to 20 minutes, a technology which promises to make public charging stations more compelling.

German and U.S. automakers Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche, and Volkswagen yesterday issued a statement saying they will support the same charging interface.

Called the Combined Charging System, the standard can charge electric vehicle batteries with alternating current from a home outlet, direct current from a home outlet, or “ultra-fast” direct current from public stations. The system will be demonstrated next week at the International Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26) in Los Angeles.

The J1772 standard will be officially published this summer and the first vehicles to use the system are expected in 2013. The European association of vehicle manufacturers will make the Combined Charging System the charging interface for all new electric vehicles starting in 2017.

These automakers chose the system, developed through the International Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), over a proposed Japanese standard. Nissan and Mitsubishi cars use a different DC fast-charging system and the Chevy Volt only works with household alternating current. Nissan’s fast-charging DC technology can give a Leaf a 50 percent charge in half an hour, company executives have said.

The system allows for charging at 500 volts with a maximum current of 200 amps, which could result in a charge able to deliver 100 kilowatts of power, Gery Kissel, the chair of the SAE International J1772 task force, told Automotive Engineering International Online.

Fast-charging addresses one of the primary perceived hurdles to mass electric vehicle adoption: the dearth of public EV charging points compared to gas stations. While early tests show that people primarily charge at home, the quicker system makes the option of charging at a dedicated station or charging point at retail location more attractive to drivers.

(Credit: University of Tokyo)

Can wind energy really power modern cargo ships? We’ve seen the idea of hybrid freighters before, but this concept from the University of Tokyo has a remarkable sail system.

A model of the UT Wind Challenger was recently shown off at the Sea Japan trade show in Tokyo. It would have giant telescoping sails that rise above the deck when wind conditions are good.

As seen in the vid below, University of Tokyo professor Kiyoshi Uzawa and collaborators believe this hybrid system could cut fuel consumption by cargo ships by about 30 percent.

The rigid sails would be 164 feet tall and 65 feet wide, made of aluminum and fiber-reinforced plastic. Consisting of five sections, they would be individually controlled by motors to automatically catch the wind at the best angle.

Uzawa likens the hollow sails to wings on a plane. He and his colleagues performed simulations for routes such as Yokohama-Seattle that showed a one-third fuel savings on average using the sail system.

Wind has been shown to be an effective cost-cutter with the MS Beluga SkySails, which completed a two-month sea voyage with a kite system in 2008, saving about $1,000 a day.

At $2.5 million apiece, the cost of the UT Wind Challenger sails could be recovered in five to ten years assuming 25 percent fuel savings, according to Uzawa. He plans to build a half-size prototype vessel and sea trials as early as 2016.

Plastering the sails with ads could surely bring the cost down further. All the ship would need is a few good cannons.

(Via DigInfo)

An artist’s design of a Microsoft Data Plant where data center computers would be co-located with a source of biogas, such as a landfill or wastewater plant, to run fuel cells for on-site power.

(Credit: Microsoft )

In a new twist on using waste for energy, Microsoft is designing a data center powered by biogas, the gas given off from landfills and other sources.

The company last week further detailed its Data Plant experiment, an idea to bring more reliability to its data centers and lower pollution from them.

Fuel cells would supply power to the data center and make it independent from the grid, said Christian Belady, general manager of Data Center Services in a blog post last week. In theory, having on-site power allows a data center operator to use the electric grid as bac up or combine both sources.

Microsoft is now researching a small-scale experiment to measure the performance and benefits and is seeking a location to test a prototype, Belady said.

Apple’s giant Maiden, N.C., data will use biogas as an energy source for its 4.8-megawatt installation of fuel cells. NTT America also is purchasing biogas from utilities, rather than natural gas, to run fuel cells at one of its California data centers. Fuel cells produce electricity from gas in a chemical reaction that is typically cleaner and more efficient than the getting power from the grid.

Rather than procure biogas from the gas grid, though, Microsoft’s Data Plant design would locate a data center directly at a source for biogas. That could be a landfill or wastewater treatment plant where the decay of organic material gives off methane, the main fuel component of biogas and natural gas.

This design addresses the limited availability of biogas in the grid at this point. Utilities can capture the methane emitted from landfills or produce gas in an anaerobic digester at wastewater plants or dairy and hog farms. But according to the American Biogas Council, there are only 160 anaerobic digesters on farms in the U.S. and 1,5000 wastewater treatment plants that capture biogas, with much of that flared.

In addition to using a cleaner, renewable source with biogas, Microsoft wants to improve the reliability of its data center power because the grid was not designed to handle the rapid growth in power demand from computing, Belady said. This is one reason why data center operators are eyeing fuel cells, whether they run on natural gas or biogas, as GigaOm notes.

Fuel cells as a local energy source can also provide heat to a building and replace other back-up measures, such as diesel generators, Belady said.

In addition to the clean technology benefits, fuel cells offer us a host of other advantages including increased Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF), higher availability, pay as we grow, flexibility in fuel sources, high electrical efficiency, combined heat and power source, and reduced dependence on traditional data center infrastructures such as five minute UPS and back-up diesel generators, he said.

Fancy answering the call of nature au naturel but don’t like getting too down and dirty? Japan recently saw the opening of a public toilet in a veritable Garden of Eden that designers say is the largest of its kind in the world.

Created by architect Sou Fujimoto, the single, glassed-in cubicle commands a view of cherry, plum, and peach trees in a rural part of Ichihara City, east of Tokyo.

It’s located by Itabu Station along the scenic Kominato Railway, and you can hear the old-school trains clunking along as they pass.

Surrounded by a 6-foot wall, the elegant loo stands in a 240-square-yard garden that is being planted with rape blossom and clover.

Sorry guys, it’s for ladies only.

Japan, home to obsessively engineered toilets that can have control panels with up to 30 buttons on them, is certainly no stranger to insanely eccentric toilets.

Cases in point: the $130,000 crystal-studded loo created last year, and Sega’s Toylet, which makes a game out of bladder evacuation.

Still, a large facility with only one stall in it seems rather extravagant for a crowded land like Japan. It cost around 10 million yen ($123,000).

“The area around the station has an incredible natural beauty,” The Japan Times quoted Fujimoto as telling NHK TV. “We wanted for those who used the toilet to enjoy this scenery and that feeling of release.”

Check out the NHK vid below. Would you like to water the plants there, so to speak?

(Via Japan Pulse)

The Nest software now has a tab for energy history and a more graphical display to indicate what affected heating and cooling.(Credit: Nest Labs)

The gadgets of your smart home now come with software updates.

Nest Labs today released the equivalent of version 2.0 software for its smart thermostat available for the Web, iOS or Android. The software tweaks for the $249 Learning Thermostat are designed to help people better understand how thermostat changes affect energy usage.

The update presents energy history data over ten days, a longer period than before, and indicates when during the day heating and cooling systems turned on. It can also show what caused setting changes–the weather, a manual adjustment, or an auto-away setting.

A new air conditioning feature, called Airwave, could reduce electricity up to 30 percent for people who live in dry climates. The setting keeps an air conditioner fan running, rather than both the fan and compressor, to keep cool air blowing and reduce power.

The Nest software also generates reports to compare monthly usage and show how often a person used the auto-away feature. A leaf icon appears when a person chooses a more efficient setting. Each degree change can lower electricity by five percent, said Maxime Veron, head of product marketing at Nest Labs.

Founded by former successful Apple engineers, Nest Labs set out to make an attractive programmable thermostat that people actually use. An EPA study found that only about ten percent of people program their thermostats. When they are used, programmable thermostats can significantly cut energy, on the order of 20 percent to 30 percent.

In a survey of its customers, Nest found nearly all the people use the automatic set-back features, such as turning down the heating temperature when no one’s home or changing settings when people are out of town. Rather than manually set temperatures for different times of the day, people use the Nest thermostat for a few days and the device itself creates a schedule.

To ease installation, Nest redesigned its back plate to make it easier to connect wires to the heating and cooling system. Through partners, Nest offers an installation service but found a majority of people did it themselves in less than half hour, according to a representative.

Apart from information, one of the most coveted features of smart thermostats is remote control, allowing people to make adjustments from a computer or smart phone.

Being connected to the Internet also means automatic software updates for the device. Nest has already done a number of firmware updates on the thermostat, Veron said.

Reception of the Learning Thermostat has been positive and the company quickly sold out when it started sales in October. Last week, its back order cleared and it started sales again.

Although the company’s been lauded for innovating in home energy, it faces a lawsuit by thermostat heavyweight Honeywell, which alleges Nest infringed a number of Honeywell’s seemingly broad patents. Nest said it will fight the charges in court and is expected to respond next week.

See CNET’s review of the Nest thermostat here.

Cree’s AeroBlades’ LED streetlights.

(Credit: Cree)

Cree is leaning on high design to get LED lighting onto lamp posts.

The company today introduced new lines of streetlights that use long-lasting and energy-efficient LEDs, including AeroBlades lamps which are an array of LED light sources in blade-like strips.

Cree also updated its traditional LED streetlights for overhead lighting and developed a lamp with traditional bulb designed to fit into historic districts.

The products are the first since Cree, which makes LED light sources, purchased Ruud Lighting to expand its lighting fixture business. LEDs are a good fit for street lights in that they last longer than other technologies, save money on energy, and can direct more precisely.

But in the U.S., many municipalities are strapped for cash, making the higher upfront cost of LEDs a difficult sell. Cree’s latest line of streetlights are lower priced, but the primary savings comes from reduced maintenance, said Cree vice president and general manager Christopher Ruud.

“It’s not an inexpensive job to change a light bulb–that’s where the payback is,” he said. He said the payback from this latest line is typically within a few years.

In the consumer market, LEDs face the same challenge of higher upfront costs even though there are energy savings, particularly compared to incandescent bulbs. But Cree executives say that apart from efficiency, consumers should value the LEDs for better control with dimming, longer life, and the potential for different designs.

We Americans aren’t the only ones who have gained weight. Over the past 25 years, our cars have gotten heavier too, says Amory Lovins.

Lovins, chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute, says he believes that ultralight materials like carbon fiber composites can make cars simpler and cheaper to build. At the Cleantech Forum in San Francisco this week, Lovins talked about strategies to make oil-free automobiles.

This video originally appeared on SmartPlanet with the headline “Amory Lovins: Carbon fiber cars would cut oil dependency.”

More SmartPlanet links

• Do we need smart meters?
• Who will pay for the smart grid?
• How electric cars could pull the plug on the U.S. highway funding

The inherent frugality of a hybrid car might make you think of a no-frills driving experience. But luxury automakers have learned the win-win nature of an electric-assisted powertrain.

Infiniti, Porsche, and BMW devised their own takes on the hybrid car, fitting these fuel-efficient systems into full-size sedans and SUVs. Lincoln borrowed a hybrid system from sister brand Ford for its own mid-size sedan, the MKZ. And Lexus even transferred the Prius hybrid powertrain into a luxury hatchback.

BMW ActiveHybrid 7
With its 7-series hybrid, BMW did not bother to downsize the engine, instead adding an electric drive system. The result? About 50 extra horsepower yet still achieving fuel economy in the low 20s, an impressive figure for such a big and powerful car. Read the full review.

Infiniti M35h
When Infiniti turned its flagship sedan into a luxury hybrid, it angled for better fuel economy. The car uses a V-6 instead of the V-8 of the M56, but the electric drive system pushes its horsepower to 360, while keeping fuel economy in the high 20s. Read the full review

Lexus CT 200h
With a 1.8-liter engine and electric hybrid system, the same as used in the Prius, the CT 200h is probably the least powerful luxury car you can find. Its zero to 60 mph time may be slow, but over 40 mpg is nothing to sneeze at.Read the full review.

Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
Based on the Ford Fusion, the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid may stretch the notion of luxury, but its hybrid powertrain delivers excellent fuel economy and drivability. Touches such as a THX audio system add to the pleasure of driving. Read the full review.

Porsche Cayenne Hybrid
Porsche chose its SUV for its hybrid, benefiting from the same electrically-assisted powertrain used in the Volkswagen Touareg. This supercharged V-6 and electric motor combine for 380 horsepower, while getting fuel economy in the low 20s. Read the full review.

Volkswagen has just started a test program with 20 eGolfs in the U.S.

(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)

During a day spent torture testing Volkswagen performance models in the Santa Cruz mountains, I took a time out to drive the eGolf, the electrical vehicle based on the Golf hatchback. Volkswagen just kicked off a test program in the U.S. with 20 eGolfs spread around the country.

I got a look at the eGolf last month in Volkswagen’s Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL). The car uses a 26.5 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack to give it an estimated 93 miles in range.

The eGolf felt lighter than both the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt.

(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)

The cabin of the eGolf I drove resembled the standard Golf’s in many ways, not surprising as these cars share everything except the driveline. But the instrument cluster swaps a power use gauge for the tachometer, and a smaller analog gauge shows the remaining range. That all-important number is repeated on a digital display.

Like other electric cars, the eGolf glided quietly forward. As the range display only showed 10 miles, I kept a light foot on the accelerator, so did not feel the full effect of its 199 pound-feet of torque driving the front wheels.

Mark Gillies, Volkswagen’s Product and Technology Manager, rode in the passenger seat, advising me on the eGolf’s unique brake regeneration capabilities. On a downhill slope, I moved the shifter to the B position, which slowed the car substantially. It also delivers about 60 kilowatts of regeneration, according to Gillies.

Putting it back into drive and coming upon another down slope, Gillies advised me to hit the paddle shifter inscribed with a minus sign. Regeneration drag began to slow the wheels a bit, and a small, empty battery icon appeared on the instrument cluster.

Volkswagen installed electric vehicle chargers at its Electronics Research Laboratory.

(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)

Tapping the paddle shifter again produced more drag and a low level marker in the battery icon. I was able to tap the paddle two more times, bringing the regeneration level to maximum and filling up the battery icon. Likewise, hitting the plus paddle lifted each level of regeneration. It was a fine degree of control to give electric car drivers.

More surprising was how light the car felt. Volkswagen has not released the eGolf’s curb weight, but I did not register the same kind of low-placed weight as in the Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt. Instead, the car drove like it was similar in weight to the standard Golf.

Some of that perception may have had to do with the electric power steering, which was heavily boosted. Turning the wheel to very little effort.

As to that 10 mile range number, I would have thought Gillies would be more concerned, as it was a 17 mile drive to the ERL where the car was based, and where it could be recharged. But he blithely pointed out how more than half of that run was downhill. The car would probably end up with more range than when he started.

And that point made me realize the fungible nature of range in an electric car. Going downhill in a gas-engined car may make the trip computer’s range go up, but you are still depleting the gasoline to some degree. The regeneration capabilities of electric cars mean you can restore much of the used energy, given the right topography.

Because of currently limited range, electric car drivers out of necessity will develop an understanding of their local topography superior to that of other drivers. These drivers will find the gentler grades for hill climbing and the best down slopes for regeneration. Whatever range the car indicates may not matter depending on the down or up slopes ahead.

Volkswagen has just begun testing the eGolf. The lessons learned from this program will go into the production model, planned for the end of 2014.