It’s that time of year again. No, I am not talking about “taking back your holiday gifts” time or “surviving the winter flu” time, though all seem to apply. I’m talking about the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, a four-day event which kicks off in Las Vegas on January 7th! And this year the industry standard is setting up special section dedicated to green technology.

Nicknamed Sustainable Planet, the eco CES will feature more than 30 exhibitors who are aiming to use technology to benefit the environment. The green tech world is eagerly anticipating their arrival. Techies expect to see the latest in LEDs, energy efficient televisions, and more. Reports as that the Sustainable Planet’s section will be will be 40 percent larger than the one at the 2009 CES, with more than 30 exhibitors and 5,500 square feet of exhibit space.

First off, the show itself is going green. The green business alliance EarthEra is issuing green e-certified renewable energy certificates from its wind energy sources to offset electricity and carbon emissions during the show. Green certificates offsets will also be given for hotel rooms. Further, the Consumer Electronics Association will donate $50,000 to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Convention Center Area Command, to purchase T-3 Motion electric vehicles.

And just what are the cool green gadgets expected to premiere? The solar giant Solar Technology will be show it’s Freeloader PICO, which is a compact charger using solar cell and lithium ion battery technologies to charge its internal battery in double quick time before transferring the power to mobile phones, iPods or GPS systems.

It’s that time of year again. No, I am not talking about “taking back your holiday gifts” time or “surviving the winter flu” time, though all seem to apply. I’m talking about the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, a four-day event which kicks off in Las Vegas on January 7th! And this year the industry standard is setting up special section dedicated to green technology.

Nicknamed Sustainable Planet, the eco CES will feature more than 30 exhibitors who are aiming to use technology to benefit the environment. The green tech world is eagerly anticipating their arrival. Techies expect to see the latest in LEDs, energy efficient televisions, and more. Reports as that the Sustainable Planet’s section will be will be 40 percent larger than the one at the 2009 CES, with more than 30 exhibitors and 5,500 square feet of exhibit space.

First off, the show itself is going green. The green business alliance EarthEra is issuing green e-certified renewable energy certificates from its wind energy sources to offset electricity and carbon emissions during the show. Green certificates offsets will also be given for hotel rooms. Further, the Consumer Electronics Association will donate $50,000 to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Convention Center Area Command, to purchase T-3 Motion electric vehicles.

And just what are the cool green gadgets expected to premiere? The solar giant Solar Technology will be show it’s Freeloader PICO, which is a compact charger using solar cell and lithium ion battery technologies to charge its internal battery in double quick time before transferring the power to mobile phones, iPods or GPS systems.

Embertec of Australia is premiering a new microchip technology which can monitor and learn both the electrical system and human interactions of gadgets and can make them more energy efficient. This is described by the firm as a "world's first" the technology aims to deliver maximum possible savings by addressing the power used while items are on standby.

The ten year old nickel-zinc battery maker PowerGenix is showing AA rechargeable NiZn batteries for gadgets, along with batteries for hybrids. This California-based company claims its gadget batteries are less toxic, provide more power and are “the first true replacement for disposable battery technology.”
 

And then there are the energy-efficient TVs. All televisions sold in California in 2011 (58 inches and smaller) will need to prove reduced energy consumption by an average of 33 percent by 2011 and 49 percent by 2013. Therefore, techies expect to see a slew of new energy efficient TVs from makers like Sony, LG, Sharp, Hitachi and more. Expectations are that these new TVs will have light-emitting diode (LED) backlighting for LCD screens.
 

But not everyone is so optimistic about the green business aspect of the conference. As one eco-tech blogger put it, “the sustainable section is a small side event that’s filled with companies that aren’t generally that interesting. Hopefully CES 2010 will surprise me with some big announcements about how major, mainstream, highly anticipated gadgets from the industry leaders are more sustainable, more-easily recycled and more energy-efficient than standard gadgets.” Here’s to hoping for some awesomely green surprises!