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Alternative Energy Sources
Versatile HYmini wind and solar portable charger
By Kyle Sherer
16:49 April 7, 2008 PDT
April 8, 2008 HYmini is a handheld portable electronics charging unit that uses renewable wind and solar sources to top up its power. The device can recharge most 5V appliances, including mobile phones, MP3 players, iPods, PDAs, and digital cameras. Read More
World's fist commercial scale tidal energy generator nears completion
00:23 April 4, 2008 PDT
Bristol based renewable energy company Marine Current Turbines has completed the first installation phase of the 1.2MW SeaGen Tidal System at Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough - a site chosen for its combination of fast tidal current and ability to provide shelter from bad weather which may hinder the construction process. It is expected that the breakthrough power plant will be operational around mid-year with its massive 16m diameter twin rotors harnessing the tides to produce the equivalent amount of energy it takes to power 1000 homes. After its final assembly at the Harland & Wolff dockyard in Belfast, the crane barge “Rambiz” positioned the 1000 tonne structure onto the seabed 400m from the shoreline where it will be secured by four pins drilled to a depth of around nine meters. Read More
Collaboration aims to kick-start hydrogen vehicles in the U.K.
By Kyle Sherer
23:10 April 1, 2008 PDT
April 2, 2008 Fifty million metric tons of hydrogen were produced in 2004, and the hydrogen production industry grows at an estimated 10% per year. But for hydrogen-powered cars to emerge as a serious competitor to fossil-fuel-powered transport there still needs to be substantial development of infrastructure. The latest push towards this goal in the U.K has seen ITM Power Plc and Roush Technologies Ltd sign a co-operative agreement that not only aims to put hydrogen-fueled commercial vehicles on the market within months, but also encompasses the development of hydrogen refueling station infrastructure that will enable vehicle operators to generate their own hydrogen supplies. Read More
Octillion announces NanoPower solar window production breakthrough
By Kyle Sherer
19:59 March 25, 2008 PDT
Octillion Corp’s NanoPower Window technology can convert existing glass windows into solar power generators; an unobtrusive, easily installable and updateable solution for residential and commercial buildings. Octillion has recently announced a plan to improve the deposition of silicon nanoparticles on to glass – a key step in making the technology mass-producible. Read More
Bumpy whale fins set to spark a revolution in aerodynamics
By Loz Blain
19:43 March 20, 2008 PDT
March 21, 2008 It seems despite man's endless ingenuity and the incredible modeling power available to inventors through CAD systems, we keep looking to nature to find ever more effective ways of doing things. Millions of years of evolution's trial and error approach have resulted in some incredibly effective designs that are ready to be incorporated into human constructions if we can only identify, understand and replicate them. The random-looking bumps on the humpback whale's flippers have just inspired a breakthrough in aerodynamic design that seems likely to dramatically increase the efficiency and performance of wind turbines, fans, flippers and even wings and airfoils. WhalePower's tubercle technology seems like nothing less than a revolution in fluid dynamics. Read More
Continental Airlines to conduct biofuel test flight
By Emily Clark
17:32 March 17, 2008 PDT
Continental Airlines, in conjunction with Boeing and GE Aviation, has announced plans to conduct a biofuel demonstration flight in the first half of 2009. Continental will be the first major U.S. carrier to undertake such a flight in an effort to identify sustainable fuel solutions for the aviation industry. Read More
New research promises boost to biofuel production
By Emily Clark
22:43 March 11, 2008 PDT
A new process developed by two professors at the University of Maryland could mean the ability to convert large volumes of all kinds of plant products, from leftover brewer's mash to paper trash, into ethanol and other biofuel alternatives to gasoline. When fully operational, the process could potentially lead to the production of 75 billion gallons of carbon-neutral ethanol each year. Read More
Raser Technologies announces two new geothermal energy projects
By Emily Clark
20:34 March 6, 2008 PST
March 7, 2008 Raser Technologies has committed to two new geothermal projects, bringing its total project count to seven and representing 70-75 megawatts (MW) of power projects initiated since April 2007. Read More
Microturbines to reduce emissions in NYC
By Emily Clark
23:02 March 4, 2008 PST
March 5, 2008 Installation of microturbines has been completed in New York with the aim of providing clean energy and reducing the City’s residential and commercial carbon emissions. MicroTurbine systems, developed by Capstone, have been installed in four locations around the City and are fueled by clean burning natural gas, and emit very low emissions. Read More
Bourne Energy's RiverStar: a fresh approach to hydropower
By Kyle Sherer
15:39 March 4, 2008 PST
March 5, 2008 Hydroelectric dams produce little-to-no emissions and draw energy from a renewable resource, but they are still plagued with the inherent problems of all large-scale power plants: they’re costly to build and maintain, land intensive, and have negative environmental consequences. That’s why Bourne Energy believes the future of hydropower, and the solution to global energy demand, is in small generators that harness power from river currents. The company's RiverStar power modules collect kinetic energy by passing the water through low RPM turbines that don’t harm aquaculture. The units can be cheaply mass-produced, and require no construction on river bottoms, allowing them to be installed quickly and inexpensively even in areas inhospitable to development. Read More
Zero Pollution compressed Air Car set for U.S. launch in 2010
By Loz Blain
15:03 February 28, 2008 PST
The Zero-Pollution MDI Air Car, invented in France and licensed by Tata Motors in India, is coming to American shores. Zero Pollution Motors have announced they will begin taking reservations for the first U.S. deliveries in the next couple of months, but it will be 2010 before Americans get their first taste of the ingenious compressed-air motor, which runs to 35mph entirely on air, or uses a trickle of petrol to heat and compress more air to reach higher speeds up to 90mph. It'll cost next to nothing to run (how do 30,000km service intervals sound?), have a range of up to 1000 miles, and retail for well under US$20,000. Read More
The gravity powered floor lamp
By Kyle Sherer
22:21 February 20, 2008 PST
Gravia uses a slowly sinking weight to charge 10 high-output LEDs, which fire into the acrylic lens and create a diffuse light output of 600-800 lumens, roughly equal to a 40-watt incandescent bulb. The LEDs are activated only a few seconds after the process begins, and the entire operation is silent. Read More
Architecture students think outside the box to design low-cost, less-waste housing
By Jude Garvey
00:28 February 20, 2008 PST
A non-profit organization has given architecture students a chance to learn about the practical, hands-on elements of their future profession whilst exposing them to the benefits of building low-cost, sustainable housing using materials sourced from the local area. Since 2000, DesignBuildBluff and graduate students from the University of Utah’s College of Architecture & Planning have designed and built energy-efficient, inexpensive houses using natural building methods and materials made of recycled products and locally salvaged waste or by-products. Read More
Global Warming Solutions plans hybrid solar plant
By Emily Clark
23:15 February 17, 2008 PST
February 18, 2008 Research and development has commenced to create a new type of solar power plant employing technology that would allow it to produce electricity even during periods of no sunlight. The solar plant will use LETG (Light Electric Thermal Generator), a hybrid solar and thermal energy technology that generates energy by heating up liquids that circulate on the surface of a solar panel. Read More
Human bodies turn up the heat
By Emily Clark
22:38 February 10, 2008 PST
February 11, 2008 A new environmentally friendly building to be built in Stockholm, Sweden, will harness human body heat from commuters at the neighboring railway station. The idea is to harness the heat generated by the 250,000 people who pass through Central Station each day using heat exchangers in the ventilation system. Read More
Beijing’s Olympic Aquatic Centre: the eye-catching, eco-friendly Water Cube
By Jude Garvey
23:19 February 5, 2008 PST
February 6, 2008 Construction work on the Beijing National Aquatic Center began in December 2003 in preparation for the 2008 Olympics and four years later, a stunning piece of architecture has been completed. The “Water Cube” is a rectangular-shaped steel building covered by a membrane of brightly lit blue bubbles which is incredible to look at but it is also important on an environmental level. The Water Cube consists of 100,000 sq m of ETFE, (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene) a unique transparent plastic which absorbs solar radiation and reduces thermal loss. This is the first time EFTE has been used in China and it is the world’s largest and most complex EFTE building ever constructed. Read More
US$15 billion alternative energy investment for Masdar Initiative
By Emily Clark
17:48 February 4, 2008 PST
February 5, 2008 Following on from last year's announcement of plans to create the world’s first world’s first zero carbon, zero waste city as part of the Masdar Initiative, the Abu Dhabi government has committed a US$15 billion to help explore, develop and commercialize clean energy sources. Read More
Airbus completes world first GTL powered flight
By Kyle Sherer
16:44 February 4, 2008 PST
February 5, 2008 The Airbus A380 has become the first commercial aircraft to complete a flight using liquid fuel processed from gas. GTL involves converting natural gas, which emits the least carbon of all the fossil fuels, to a liquid fuel oil, which can be used as a fuel substitute, or mixed with regular fuel. The three-hour flight from the UK to France was the first stage of a test flight program to evaluate the environmental impact of alternative fuels in the airline market. Read More
Kenworth Truck Company plans fleet of LNG vehicles
By Kyle Sherer
16:17 January 28, 2008 PST
January 29, 2008 Kenworth Truck Company and Westport Innovations Inc have announced that production of a line of liquefied natural gas vehicles will begin in 2009. The Kenworth T800 LNG trucks will use Westport’s LNG fuel system technology adapted for the Cummins ISX 15-liter engine. Read More
Energy Island: unlocking the potential of the ocean as a renewable power source
By Kyle Sherer
15:23 January 28, 2008 PST
January 29, 2008 Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion uses the temperature difference between surface and deep-sea water to generate electricity – and though it has an efficiency of just 1-3% - researchers believe an OTEC power plant could deliver up to 250MW of clean power, equivalent to one eighth of a large nuclear power plant, or one quarter of an average fossil fuel power plant. Architect and engineer Dominic Michaelis and his son Alex, along with Trevor Cooper-Chadwick of Southampton University are developing the concept with plans of putting the theory to the test on an unprecedented scale by building a floating, hexagonal Energy Island that will harness energy from OTEC, as well as from winds, sea currents, waves, and the sun. Read More
Modec electric vehicle debuts in America
By Kyle Sherer
14:46 December 5, 2007 PST
December 5, 2007 UK based Modec is continuing to expand the market for its electric zero emission vehicles, making its American debut at the 23rd Electrical Vehicle Symposium from December 2-5. The Modec Vehicle is capable of a 100 mile range at up to 50 miles per hour, and with a payload of up to two tones. Impressively, it’s also comparable to diesel vehicles in total cost of ownership – and the lack of tax and congestion charge form a great incentive to fleet companies. Read More
Scania’s third-generation ethanol buses debut in Stockholm
22:28 November 8, 2007 PST
November 9, 2007 Stockholm Transport (SL) is taking delivery of 10 Scania buses featuring the company's third generation of ethanol engines - technology which can cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 per cent compared to conventional diesel motors. Read More
Avivasolarcar lines-up for World Solar Challenge
By Emily Clark
00:03 October 16, 2007 PDT
October 16, 2007 The 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge kicks off this Sunday October 21. An established platform for the promotion and development of sustainable energy in transport, the biennial race runs for seven days and covers a distance of 3000 km (nearly 1900 miles) from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia. This year 40 teams from across the globe will compete including the Avivasolarcar, a vehicle capable of achieving speeds of up to 75kmh (47mph) while emitting no carbon dioxide and using less electricity than a toaster. Read More
Masdar Initiative: the world's first zero carbon, zero waste city
By Emily Clark
21:15 October 11, 2007 PDT
October 12, 2007 The sleek, modern capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, will be host to what is planned as the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste city. The project involves a six million square meter sustainable development that will combine traditional planning principals of a walled city with existing technologies. The planned development is a dense, car-free city to be constructed in an energy efficient two-stage phase. A large photovoltaic solar power plant will be constructed to power the city and the location is close to transport infrastructure with links to surrounding communities, as well as the center of Abu Dhabi and the international airport, by a network of existing road and new rail and public transport routes. Read More
New manufacturing process captures more light in solar cells
By Emily Clark
18:10 October 11, 2007 PDT
October 12, 2007 In another development that aims to make alternative energy generation more efficient and more affordable, Braggone has discovered a method of capturing more light in a solar cell. The result is a new product line that greatly increases the efficiency of solar cells and allows manufacturing facilities to cost-effectively increase their capacity. Read More
Alexis Olson
- November 9, 2009 @ 21:08 UTC
