Las Vegas (NV) – Electric generators are usually very noisy and must be used outdoors, but start-up Powerair has developed a zinc pellet-powered generator that’s completely safe inside. The ZPower generator weighs about 200 pounds and combines air with the zinc to produce electricity. The small zinc pellets are non-toxic and dissolve into an electrolyte solution. Here’s the kicker, you can use electrolysis to recover 100% of the zinc, according to company reps.

Slideshow: CES 2008 - Powerair’s zinc-powered generator ...

Powerair also recently release a portable zinc-powered emergency battery pack called the Zpac 40. The unit has 40-watt hours of power and comes in several colors.

Powerair representatives told us commercial models will be available in about two to three years for about $1000 a kilowatt, but that price will eventually come down to $600.

UPDATE - We’ve fixed the broken link to the picture gallery. 11:21 AM PST Jan 11 2008