Most wind generators use blades that look kind of like a prop plane's propeller working in reverse, but that's changing based on new aerodynamic research from Siemens. The result is a series of add-ons for an existing wind turbine's blades, which increases efficiency without costly replacement.

Dishwashers are big time power hogs. Between heating the wash water, and then heating up the air to dry the cleaned dishes, most dishwashers suck enough power to require a special high current electrical supply. A lot of the power...