Eco-friendly Electronic Ad debuts in NY

A solar and wind-powered billboard recently debuted in Times Square, making it the glitzy intersection's first eco-friendly electronic ad. A first for New York, this nature-powered 126' X 47', 35,000-pound sign advertising Ricoh Americas Corp is only the third in the world. The other two are Pacific Gas & Electric’s in San Francisco and Ricoh’s original eco billboard in Tokyo.

Powered by 16 wind turbines and 64 solar panels, the sign is expected to save $12,000 to $15,000 per month in electricity costs.

Ricoh, an office equipment and document storage supplier, estimates the sign will also keep 18 tons of carbon out of the environment. The billboard will be lit by floodlights rather than light-emitting diodes. It won't have a backup generator, so it could go dark during a long period with little wind or sun. Ricoh officials claim, however, that the sign's turbines will probably be able to keep the billboard lit even after four days without breezes or bright sun.

Neat, right?

Well, back to home base. We have all the sun (& wind) in the Philippines. Eco-friendly ads will remain lit here for...ever.