Inspired by his kids and wanting to start something he would be really proud of, serial entrepreneur and four times CEO Gene Wang began his fifth start up. Launching People Power in January 2009, Wang entered the “hot new space of green technology,” he said.
His answer to more efficient and cost-effective technology: this week’s announcement of the availability of the SuRF (Sensor Ultra Radio Frequency) Developer’s Kit for OSHAN (Open Source Home Area Network). This release can help developers build smart and environmentally friendly appliances for household electronics and devices by using longer range at the lowest cost and ultra-low power consumption technology, Wang said.
He did however agree that this release is more for people developing devices, but reminded about the gigantic new market of green technology by citing what Gary Locke, secretary of commerce said to him, “Whichever country leads in energy will lead the world economy.”
The open source software and hardware kit is for wireless sensor networking with an open source operating system and network stack based on TinyOS, the release said. This provides developers access to the long-range, low-power SuRF board, a PCBoard built around Texas Instrument’s CC430 System-on-Chip. With this system embedded onto one chip, Wang said, there is a much lower building of materials cost. And of the system’s power consumption, he added, “I think we’ve defined a new high watermark of power efficiency.”
With electricity costs on the rise, coupled with climate change, one can see how this kit is a step in the right direction. SuRF can be preordered now and costs US$149.95 a kit that includes two SuRF boards. People Power is also having a competition for any developer who builds the coolest SuRF device by Sept. 15, 2010. The winner will receive 5,000 shares of People Power stock, $5,000 and a free SuRF board.
Interesting, but alarming facts:
- The United States' TV vampire power consumption (how much power is used when the TVs are off) is equivalent to a coal fired power plant.
- 98% of power used by a DVD player is when it's not playing a DVD.
- U.S. electricity utility emissions: 7,830 thousand metric tons of Sulfur Dioxide, 3,330 thousand metric tons of Nitrogen Dioxides and 2,477,213 thousand metric tons of Carbon Dioxide.