With winter now officially barking at your door, it may be an opportune time to consider adding another component to your home heating arsenal — an inexpensive ceramic space heater like the Crane EE – 6490. Crane’s stylish compact heater can easily keep a small home office toasty and warm, while allowing you to set the rest of your home’s thermostats a few degrees lower to save on your monthly heating bill.

Details: 600/1200 watts settings, a compact 8″ tall, and whisper quiet. The heater also features a tip-over switch and overheat protection.

$34.99 @ amazon.com

Related:  more eco-friendly home products featured on The Alternative Consumer

The new Philips InstantTrust device cleanses drinking water by utilizing Ultra Violet light to expel microorganisms like bacteria. This idea is not new, but Philips Lighting’s new design is revolutionary to the field. Previous UV purification systems created by a variety of companies have been too bulky, or have taken too much time to start and complete purification; the InstantTrust starts working immediately and can work with flow rates of up to 4 liters per minute in any water temperature. The device’s compact size also creates the potential for its incorporation into a variety of home appliances and plumbing fixtures, from kitchen faucets and under sink water filters, to hot tubs and refrigerators.

The product has vast, global potential, particularly in developing countries where there is an urgent need for water purification. It will be interesting to see how Philips plans to market its product worldwide.

Related: more green gadgets featured on The Alternative Consumer

The home laundry room goes hi-tech…Samsung has introduced its new WiFi-enabled WF457 washer and dryer at this week’s CES in Las Vegas. The washer’s Smart Control system allows consumers to stay connected to the washer cycle without having to remain in close proximity to the machine. Consumers can monitor and control the machine’s operation via a wireless router and a smart phone application. Busy moms and dads can monitor cycle selections, remaining time and finishing alerts, as well as remotely start or pause the washer without having to access the laundry room.

Though the front-loading washer has the industry’s largest capacity (a whopping 31 bath towels) it’s recognized by ENERGY STAR as a ‘Most Efficient 2011’ clothes washer. (more…)

Plants are Mother Nature’s super-efficient air filtration system. The ANDREA system utilizes award-winning technology to accelerate a plant’s already potent capacity to remove airborne toxins from the air. The gadget employs active plant filtration in concert with layers of water and soil to provide a multistage system that cleanses indoor air of harmful toxins that can irritate and be harmful to your lungs.

It naturally purifies air by drawing it in and propelling it through the leaves and root system of a plant, then out through water and soil filtration and back into the room environment.  (more…)

The COOKUP200 solar grill from the French company iD Cook, is a portable solar cooker that can be taken on the road and assembled in a few minutes – just add some sun and you’re ready to cook. No propane, toxic lighter fluid or messy charcoal needed. The whole deal folds-up into a handy little carrying case.

The solar grill requires a separate grill-safe dish such as a casserole dish, pan or griddle for cooking. Cast iron is recommended for optimum results. (more…)

I don’t usually look to JC Penney for my eco-friendly appliances, but this 2-slice toaster is estimated to use 35% less juice than comparable 2-slicers.  This little toaster from JC Penney’s Cooks by Home line uses infrared heating technology to bronze your toast twice as fast as a typical toaster.  Features extra-wide slots and a 7-level electronic browning control.

What better power source for reducing the heat produced by the sun, than the sun itself?

LG Electronics recently unveiled, (in Korea), an eco-friendly solar hybrid air conditioner.  Using energy captured from the sun to power the air conditioner via solar panel attached to the top the outdoor unit, this solar unit is estimated to produce up to 70 watts of power per hour.

According to the manufacturer this new solar air conditioner is capable of reducing the carbon footprint of the user by around 212kg of CO2 over 10 years — equivalent to saving 780 pine trees (over the 10 yr. period).

via: akihabara news

Saw this little item on GreenMuze.  It looks great, and it’s conceivable it might just add a little humidity to an arid, small room.

The passive Mast Humidifier designed by Shin Okada is constructed from rot-resistant Japanese cypress.  The elegantly folded cypress absorbs water placed in the base and diffuses it into the room via the wood’s natural capillary action and evaporation.

6,300 Yen @ Japanese shopping site masuza.co.jp (be prepared to translate)

Major appliance manufacturers are starting to perceive energy efficiency as a key component of consumer buying decisions.

Whirlpool has announced that it will produce one million Smart Energy clothes dryers by the end of 2011 as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Smart Grid Investment Grant program.  The U.S. manufactured dryers will be capable interacting with information communicated by the smart grid to modify their energy consumption to save consumers money on their home electric bills.  In markets where utilities offer variable or time-of-use pricing, these dryers could save a typical consumer $20 to $40 per year, while also benefiting the environment.

Now we just need a smart grid.

source: prnewswire/reuters