Oregon today begins requiring refiners and marketers to use 2 percent biodiesel in their transportation-related diesel fuels, making it the third state to put a so-called B2 program in place. The requirement…
Oregon Is Third State With Biodiesel Requirements
August 6th, 2009Department of Energy awards POET $6.85 M
September 28th, 2009
POET’s task of securing 700 tons of cellulosic biomass per day of operation got a big boost this week from a .85 million funding increase to an existing grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Algae. Why Now? What’s Next?
September 28th, 2009
While algal biomass as a potential renewable energy source has been studied for decades, only recently has it received the type of intensive R&D and investment needed to translate that potential into reality. As some readers of RenewableEnergyWorld.com may know, algal biomass has risen to the top of the field for renewable fuel feedstocks.
Ontario Launches Comprehensive System of Feed-in Tariffs
September 28th, 2009Ontario today launched the province’s long-awaited program of feed-in tariffs in response to its ground-breaking Green Energy Act.
US Commerce Secretary Has Plan for Smart Grid Interoperability
September 28th, 2009
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke this week unveiled an accelerated plan for developing standards to transform the U.S. power distribution system into a secure, more efficient and environmentally friendly Smart Grid and create clean-energy jobs.
Waste Management’s Riverbend Landfill To Produce Energy
September 28th, 2009Waste Management and McMinnville Water & Light broke ground this week on Waste Management’s new waste-to-energy plant at the company’s Riverbend landfill west of McMinnville, Oregon. The US million project will work by collecting methane gas, created from the natural decomposition of waste, from the landfill through a network of underground pipes.
Update: Treasury & Energy Surpass US $1B Mark in Recovery Act Awards
September 28th, 2009U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Energy Secretary Steven Chu this week hosted a group of clean energy developers and manufacturers at the White House to discuss how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) is creating jobs and helping expand the development of clean, renewable domestic energy.
Nasdaq & Clean Edge Introduce Smart Grid Infrastructure Index
September 28th, 2009The Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. and Clean Edge Inc. announced the introduction of the Nasdaq OMX Clean Edge Smart Grid Infrastructure IndexSM (Nasdaq: QGRD), a new benchmark for the smart grid and electric infrastructure sector. The index is a modified market-capitalization index and includes companies that are primarily involved in electric grid, electric meters, devices and networks, energy storage and management and enabling software used by the smart grid and electric infrastructure sector.
California Governor Fails To Live Up to His Green Goals
September 28th, 2009
In a strange but interesting demonstration of cynicism, Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed an executive order directing state agencies to develop regulations requiring all utilities to achieve 33 percent renewable energy by 2020 — while at the same time promising to veto a far stronger and smarter mandate in two similar bills finally passed by the Legislature.
Are Biofuels Ready for a Comeback?
September 28th, 2009
The Cambridge, Massachusetts headquarters for Joule Biotechnologies are very discreet. The only thing marking the office from every other pale brick building on Rogers Street is a large “83″ printed on a tinted glass door – hardly the type of labeling one might expect from a company claiming to have the answer to cheap, abundant, renewable fuels that don’t require fresh water or farmland to grow.
How To Get Renewable Energy Grant Money from the U.S. Government
September 28th, 2009
How does one go about applying for the new government program that allows a solar, wind project or other specified energy property to receive a cash grant from the U.S. Treasury in lieu of a 30% tax credit? — Michael W., Hartford, CT.
Ontario Launches Comprehensive System of Feed-in Tariffs
September 28th, 2009Ontario today launched the province’s long-awaited program of feed-in tariffs in response to its ground-breaking Green Energy Act.
US Commerce Secretary Has Plan for Smart Grid Interoperability
September 28th, 2009 U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke this week unveiled an accelerated plan for developing standards to transform the U.S. power distribution system into a secure, more efficient and environmentally friendly Smart Grid and create clean-energy jobs.
Update: Treasury & Energy Surpass US $1B Mark in Recovery Act Awards
September 28th, 2009U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Energy Secretary Steven Chu this week hosted a group of clean energy developers and manufacturers at the White House to discuss how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) is creating jobs and helping expand the development of clean, renewable domestic energy.
Nasdaq & Clean Edge Introduce Smart Grid Infrastructure Index
September 28th, 2009The Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. and Clean Edge Inc. announced the introduction of the Nasdaq OMX Clean Edge Smart Grid Infrastructure IndexSM (Nasdaq: QGRD), a new benchmark for the smart grid and electric infrastructure sector. The index is a modified market-capitalization index and includes companies that are primarily involved in electric grid, electric meters, devices and networks, energy storage and management and enabling software used by the smart grid and electric infrastructure sector.
California Governor Fails To Live Up to His Green Goals
September 28th, 2009 In a strange but interesting demonstration of cynicism, Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed an executive order directing state agencies to develop regulations requiring all utilities to achieve 33 percent renewable energy by 2020 — while at the same time promising to veto a far stronger and smarter mandate in two similar bills finally passed by the Legislature.
Eco Gadgets: PUYL bicycle pump doubles as a self-powered light
September 28th, 2009
Eco Factor: Bicycle light gets powered by electromagnetic induction.
Designed by industrial designer Kai Malte Roever, the PUYL is a bicycle pump that doubles as a permanent illuminating bicycle light that doesn’t need a battery to operate. The patent-pending device consists of a normal bicycle pump, which in this case charges a built-in battery using electromagnetic induction.
Eco Architecture: Eco Lodge demonstrates the basics of sustainable design
September 28th, 2009
Eco Factor: Carbon neutral lodge gets powered by renewable energy.
The Eco Lodge by Satellite Architects is a zero-carbon, sustainable and off-grid lodge that meets Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5 standards. The off-grid lodge is designed to take advantage of the sun for natural heat and light and relies on surrounding air for ventilation.
Eco Gadgets: VentroVentilato’s system uses windows to regulate interior temperature
September 28th, 2009
Eco Factor: Energy saving system heats or cools interiors according to climate.
In a normal house, heat is either lost or gained through the most thermally weak points, the windows. An Italian company, VentroVentilato, is trying to make windows regulate interior temperature depending on the climate outside by a system of simple double- or triple-glazed windows that are equipped with a sensor-controlled fan.
Eco Tech: Researcher proposes ‘MAGIC’ to end dependence on fossil fuels
September 28th, 2009
Eco Factor: Solar-powered system to refine magnesium and use it as a source of fuel.
Oceans contain about 1800 trillion tons of magnesium, which if refined can be used to meet the world’s energy needs for the next 300,000 years. But refining this metallic element requires temperatures in excess of 4000C, which means a lot of money and energy. Future thinking scientist Takashi Yabe at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, believes that he has a system that can run on solar-power to refine magnesium.
Eco Tech: University of Stuttgart to build an aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cells
September 28th, 2009
Eco Factor: Zero-emission electric aircraft to run on hydrogen fuel cells.
Designers at the University of Stuttgart’s Institute of Aircraft Design have announced that they’ll be building an electric aircraft that will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Dubbed Hydrogenius, the aircraft will be equipped with a lithium battery and electric motor, which will use the power from the aircraft’s onboard hydrogen fuel cell system.
Eco Cars: Nature-inspired BMW Lovos concept car gets powered by solar energy
September 28th, 2009
Eco Factor: Concept car designed to run on electric engine fueled by solar power.
Pforzheim University graduate Anne Forschner is one auto designer who believes that cars of the future need to harness renewable energy and convert it into usable fuel for a zero-emission ride. Anne has come up with a concept car, designed in collaboration with BMW, that mimics natural forms to harness solar energy.
Eco Cars: Buckeye Bullet 2 becomes world’s first electric car to break 300mph barrier
September 28th, 2009
Eco Factor: Hydrogen-fuel cell powered electric vehicle.
Designed by a student team from Ohio State University, the Buckeye Bullet 2 broke the 300mph barrier at the Bonneville Salt Flats by averaging 300.992mph in the flying kilometer with a top recorded speed of 304mph.
Eco Gadgets: NTT DOCOMO unveils prototype phones made from waste wood
September 28th, 2009
Eco Factor: Cellphone made from surplus wood.
NTT DOCOMO has announced that the company has developed a mobile phone prototype from surplus wood of trees culled during thinning operations to maintain healthy forests. The phone was developed in collaboration with Sharp Corporation, Olympus Corporation and “More Trees,” a reforestation project.
Eco Architecture: Group 41 designs shipping container residential complex for Utah
September 28th, 2009
Eco Factor: Residential complex made from 1000 recycled shipping containers.
Designing homes from shipping containers isn’t a new concept, and we have already seen some stunning examples of what shipping container homes can look like. San Francisco-based Group 41 Inc is taking shipping container architecture to a whole new level by designing a residential complex from over 1000 recycled shipping containers.
Eco Tech: Solar Cloud provides shade during the day and power after dark
September 28th, 2009
Eco Factor: Overhanging structure generates solar energy.
The Solar Cloud is an inflatable, overhanging structure that has been designed to provide shade to a large cit space. The structure is designed to be made from lightweight materials that can easily be inflated and erected.
Keeping Hybrid & Electric Cars Cool
September 28th, 2009
When scientists unveiled the mystery of boiling of fluids in the form of tiny “microchannels” they cracked various formulas and models to keep the high-power electronic gadgets cool. These high power electronics generally are electric and hybrid cars, aircrafts, computers and other devices. Suresh Garimella – the R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Professor [...]
Posted in: Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars, Transportation
World’s Largest Solar Power Project Planned
September 28th, 2009
Gujarat, a state of India, is quite eager to opt for alternative sources of energy. It started out as a small dream. The Gujarat government visualized only 500 MW of solar power generation by 2014. But this humble goal may now be increased to 3,000 MW. The Gujarat Government is undertaking a billion [...]
Posted in: Future Energy, Industry, Solar Power
New IMEC Solar Cells: 18.4% Conversion Efficiency
September 28th, 2009
IMEC (Interuniversity Microelectronics Center) has presented a large-area solar cell with 18.4% conversion efficiency at the ongoing European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (Hamburg, Germany). A world leader in its own right, IMEC is an independent research center working on nanoelectronics and nanotechnology. It is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has offices in Belgium, the [...]
Posted in: Industry, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power
H2 Power Systems Developing On-Site Hydrogen Production
September 28th, 2009H2 Power Systems, an early development company, thinks it may have found a way to produce hydrogen on-site and on-demand at existing fueling stations. The idea would be to place solar panels atop filling stations and use high temperature cracking of water to create hydrogen and oxygen.
The brains behind the operation are entrepreneur Nils Kongmark plus two physicist colleagues. This thermolysis reaction of breaking up the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen also requires H2 Power System’s selective membrane filters for effective gas separation.
Mr. Kongmark also has a bit of a different idea when it comes to using this process to fuel hydrogen cars. He suggests using both the pure hydrogen and pure oxygen generated by his process to fuel the cars saying that pure oxygen will degrade the fuel cell less than using oxygen from the ambient air, which is how most if not all H2 fuel cell car manufacturers are currently building their vehicles.
Kongmark says there are two benefits to his system. The first benefit is that his H2 system will have a small footprint so that it can be placed in practically any location. The second benefit is that his process takes less energy to crack the water into hydrogen and oxygen than other known systems.
But, the proof is in the pudding as they say for this English company as they are still 6 months away from a working prototype. And after this building a working commercial system will be another hurdle.
The science however does sound promising. If H2 Power Systems can build a solar to hydrogen on-site, on-demand device, this will solve the transportation and distribution issue that is holding back a quick rollout of hydrogen pumps to already existing fueling stations nationwide.
GM Downsizes Next Generation of Fuel Cell System by 220 Lbs
September 28th, 2009
General Motors, while downsizing its company in general, has decided also to downsize its next generation of fuel cell system by 220 pounds. The 5th generation fuel cell stack, GM says will be ready for prime time (production status) by 2015, which is the same time frame several other hydrogen car manufacturers have given for production rollout of their fuel cell vehicles.
GM says the size of the new fuel cell powertrain that is in development will fit underneath the hood and be about the size of a 4-cylinder engine. The current generation of fuel cell stack is only rated for 50,000 miles of use, so presumably, the higher durability of the new gen fuel cell stack will be at least 150,000 miles and hopefully 200,000 miles or higher.
Reducing costs and simplifying the manufacturing process are also top on GM’s agenda in getting the new gen fuel cell powertrain ready for production. Also, presumably many of these 2015 General Motors FCVs will be headed for Germany.
Two weeks ago I had talked about how 8 major companies in Germany (through the H2 Mobility Plan) were gearing up to have 1,000 hydrogen fueling stations installed in that country by 2015. Japan has also decided to quickly scale up its hydrogen highway network of H2 fueling stations as well.
According to GM’s Project Driveway, so far over 1,000,000 miles have been put on the Chevy Equinox FCVs and that number continues to climb. So far, GM says it has invested over .5 billion in fuel cell technology, so if they have to export their vehicles overseas starting 2015 (or perhaps set up production there as well) this is something that GM is quite willing to do.
