Renewable Energy

Toyota adds Plus Performance Package to Prius

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 01:40:00 GMT

A hipper Prius?

Check out those phat Prius rims

Starting in April 2011, Toyota will add the Plus Performance Package as a Prius option. The new package includes 17-inch rims, low-profile tires, body kit and lowered springs according to Kicking Tires. While fuel economy numbers are said to be unaffected, KT expects a reduction in ride quality.

No word yet on pricing.

Looks better, but not at the expense of ride comfort.

Historic US Vote Makes Buildings 30% More Energy Efficient

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:52:00 GMT

In a historic agreement on Monday, US building officials nationwide have voted to support the first building codes that require 30% more efficient buildings for every state under the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code, the IMT is reporting today.

The IMT (Institute for Market Transformation) has long been working on the market failures that inhibit building sector investment in energy efficiency. Delegates also voted to eliminate the weaker Energy Chapter of the International Residential Code, supplanting it with a single nationwide uniform energy code for residential and commercial buildings.

Although some states, like California, have long had energy efficiency requirements in building codes, with a resulting flat-lining in home energy use in the state since the 1970s (to about half the average US use) most states have little or no requirements for reducing energy use. The International code has been the lowest common denominator; compelling safety, but little else in building codes. The minimum standards allowed energy to be wasted in heating and cooling homes in non compliant states by not requiring weather tight walls, roofs, windows or doors.

Why this affects Cancun:

Buildings are responsible for 38% of US emissions, the IMT notes. As one of the wedges for reducing greenhouse gases, requiring energy efficiency in building codes has long been pushed for by the Obama administration and the Department of Energy climate hawks under Steven Chu ? as well as the US Conference of Mayors, the National Association of State Energy Officials, and the broad-based Energy Efficient Codes Coalition.

After Copenhagen, the US had to demonstrate both a willingness and an ability to do its part in reducing greenhouse gases. But the Senate was not able to overcome Republican clean energy filibuster to pass the House climate bill.

However, if enough other legislation has the same effect overall, the promised 17% reduction in greenhouse gases can be achieved, anyway.

?It is notable that the votes that will have the most profound impact on national energy and environmental policy this year weren?t held in Washington or a state capital, but by governmental officials assembled by the International Code Council (ICC) in Charlotte, NC,? said William Fay, Executive Director of the Energy Efficient Codes Coalition.

Meets Copenhagen promise:

With today's nationwide agreement, the US could now even meet its Copenhagen promise to reduce greenhouse gases 17% by 2020, regardless of the stalemate in the Senate.

That is because today's agreement can be added together with an assortment of other actions (EPA actions, local pollution reduction programs, Obama fuel efficiency rules, the Executive Order on greenhouse gases, the 28% reduction in Federal GHGs, the nationwide appliance efficiency agreement, renewable energy requirements in 30 states) to achieve the same goal.

?This is a big deal!? said Cliff Majersik, Executive Director of IMT. ?Most new buildings are built to the code ? no better and no worse. These changes to the model energy code will slash pollution from power plants and furnaces while saving Americans billions of dollars in energy bills.?

How likely is it that all of the states will implement this?

Under the terms of the Recovery Act (ARRA), every state that accepted State Energy Program funding had to commit to 90% energy code compliance by 2017. Virtually every state did accept this assistance, even Wyoming with virtually no building code on the books for energy efficiency (in fact its funding ran out in record time, Wyoming homeowners were so eager to cut their energy costs). That means almost every state will now require efficient buildings.

The new rule affects both commercial and residential buildings. Allowing for regional climate differences, architects and builders will be able to choose which ways to make their buildings use less energy, for example, by adding renewable energy like solar on rooftops, using more efficient lighting, or increasing weather proofing. But the 30% gain must be reached.

What will be the benefit to you?

?The average homeowner spends more than $2,000 a year on energy bills, more than what they pay for home
insurance or property taxes,? said Caroline Keicher, Program Associate at IMT. ?These are not theoretical savings.
This is real money in the pockets of homeowners and a critical step toward making home ownership more
affordable.?

The rules ensure:

? Better sealing and ventilation to reduce heating and cooling losses,
? Higher efficiency in windows and skylights,
? More effective insulation in ceilings, walls, and foundations,
? Reduction in wasted energy from leaky heating and cooling ducts,
? Improved hot-water distribution systems,
? Increased lighting efficiency.

Every dollar spent on code compliance yields a six-fold payoff in energy savings, saving American consumers an eventual $10.2 billion annually.

Image: Online Code Enforcement and Advocacy Network
Susan Kraemer@Twitter

New gas engines could spark fuel economy wars

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:33:00 GMT

Suddenly cheap, powerful fuel efficiency could rule.

Hybrid fuel economy without hybrid technology?

In the last few weeks and months there have been some very interesting stories regarding new developments in gasoline engines. For instance, HCCI engines utilizing longer chain alcohols that offer diesel-like efficiency without the noxious emissions; or highly turbocharged alcohol-fueled direct-injection spark-ignition (DISI) engines that offer even better fuel economy, power and lower emissions than diesel engines at a lower cost than diesel engines.

And then there is Mazda's SKYACTIV-G engine that rethinks technologies like variable valve timing and direct fuel injection, resulting in hybrid fuel economy without any extra batteries or motors ? reducing costs ? and the engine is fully scalable across all vehicle platforms.

Along with turbocharging, automatic start-stop and high-tech transmissions, according to CNNMoney, these technologies could be combined in a number of ways that result in vehicles that achieve hybrid-like fuel economy, while offering greater performance and reduced costs compared to current hybrid cars.

Of course, adding mild or full hybrid technologies to these new engines could drastically increase fuel economy as well.

Regardless, it seems that much higher fuel economy is at hand, without reducing performance or increasing costs. What seems to be lacking, however, is the incentive to chase efficient performance the way horsepower has been chased in the past. Eventually, however, such an outcome seems destined ? whether that future is manufactured and assembled in the US or not.

Sadly, in recent months I've read a number of articles on the declining importance of the US auto market. More and more the US market is less important to automaker success. Even worse, vehicles made for the US market simply don't translate well outside the US. Consequently, the Honda Fit hybrid, for example, will be sold in Europe, but not the US ? some speculate ? because of higher US safety standards, standards dictated by the overabundance of large and heavy vehicles in the US.

Cheap and powerful fuel efficiency is going to rule the automotive market as emerging markets, and the key to future auto success, will put ever greater emphasis on cost-effectiveness. Therefore, the longer the US waits to embrace such an efficiency-driven focus, the sooner we'll say goodbye to even more US-based auto jobs.

Ethanol Industry Files Against California LCFS

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:27:00 GMT

The ethanol industry is proceeding with its lawsuit against the state of California over a rule that they claim would shut corn ethanol out of that state.

Late yesterday, the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy filed papers in U.S. District Court in California asking the federal court to declare that California's low carbon fuels standard (LCFS) violates the U.S Constitution.

The groups filed their suit on December 24, 2009. On June 16, the federal court overruled a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, permitting the ethanol groups to proceed with their claims.

The two groups issued a joint statement on the filing. ?With these papers filed in federal court, the ethanol industry is seeking a preliminary injunction, as well as summary judgment, to halt implementation of the regulation. Our argument is that the regulation as written is unconstitutional and injurious to the domestic ethanol industry, and we don't believe a full trial is needed to decide that.?

A hearing on the motions is scheduled for February 23, 2011.

Is Focus on Bigger Projects Holding Solar Back in the U.S.?

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:20:00 GMT

An article in the New York Times last week suggested that a dearth of financing is holding back solar power in the United States. In particular, the authors note that ?the country needs to build large plants covering hundreds of acres,? projects that can cost $1 billion. These large solar projects are languishing without financing, they assert, in part because of the lengthy process to claim federal government loan guarantees and because ?Bankers generally prefer smaller, less risky projects and shorter-term loans than the 20-year terms solar plants typically need.?

EBI study concludes potential contribution of microalgae biofuels in US will be modest due to resource constraints and cost

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 23:54:00 GMT

Micrographs of commercially cultivated algae species. Top left, Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis). Top right, Dunaliella salina. Bottom left, Chlorella vulgaris. Bottom right, Haematococcus pluvialis. Spirulina are cyanobacteria and the other three are green algae (Chlorophyceae). Source: EBI. Click to enlarge.

Even with necessary advances in biology and process efficiencies, the resource potential of microalgae biofuels will always be modest mainly due to the lack of sites having all the needed resources, in particular available CO₂, according to a new detailed assessment from the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) in Berkeley. However, the report concludes, over the long-run, algae oil could make a vital, even if modest, contribution to a US biofuels industry.

The study, “A Realistic Technology and Engineering Assessment of Algae Biofuel Production” is based on a detailed techno-economic analysis of five microalgae biofuel production scenarios based on technologies that currently exist or are expected to become available in the near-term, including raceway ponds for microalgae cultivation; bioflocculation for algae harvesting; and hexane for extraction of algae oil.

“The main conclusion from this report is that oil production with microalgae will be expensive, even with relatively favorable process assumptions (e.g. low cost system designs, high productivity algae cultivation, high oil content, low cost harvesting and processing).”

In all five cases, water and nutrients (N and P) are supplied by municipal wastewater, which also provides some of the carbon needed for algae growth. Additional CO₂ is supplied by flue gas from a natural gas-fired power plant. The cases differ in three main ways: (1) primary process objective (either biofuel production or wastewater treatment); (2) biofuel outputs (either biogas only or biogas plus oil); and (3) farm size?growth ponds covering either 100 or 400 hectares (250 or 1,000 acres).

Engineering designs and cost analysis for the various cases were based on projecting current commercial microalgae production and wastewater treatment processes at much larger scales. They assumed higher productivities due to plausible technological advances. The estimated capital costs for a 250-acre biofuel production system emphasizing oil production were about $21 million, with annual operating costs at around $1.5 million, to produce about 12,300 barrels of oil, giving a break-even price per barrel of oil of $330 (based on an 8% capital charge). Increasing the scale of the system to 1,000 acres reduced the break-even price to about $240 per barrel. These prices considered wastewater treatment credits, which reduced costs about 20%. Other facilities that maximized wastewater treatment produced fuel at lower cost due to greater treatment revenue. However, the availability of wastewater would greatly limit the national scale of this lower-cost fuel production.

Sale of algae co-products, such as pigments or animal feeds, could improve the economics of algae biofuel, but it is not considered in this analysis because the higher value co-product markets would likely become saturated before significant biofuel quantities were produced, while commodity animal feed co-production would likely not have a decisive effect on biofuels production costs without other production improvements in addition.
?Lundquist et al.

The major technical assumptions for all five cases are:

25% recoverable triacylglyceride content in algae biomass;
22 g/m²-day (80 mt/ha-yr) annual average total biomass productivity, of which 20 g/m²-day is harvested;
Oil yield of about 20,000 liters/ha-yr (2,100 gal/acre-yr);
Individual ponds are 4 hectares (10 acres) in size (690 m by 60 m, with 30m wide channels) and mixed with paddle wheels at a nominal water velocity of 25 cm/sec;
Hydraulic residence time in the ponds is 3 to 5 days, depending on season; and
Flue gas CO₂ is supplied by countercurrent sumps within the ponds to eliminate any carbon limitation on the algae growth rate.

The results of the present study, based on a detailed de novo analysis, project high costs for microalgae biofuels produced by facilities designed primarily for biofuels production. Even with low capital charges, it is not possible to produce microalgae biofuels cost-competitively with fossil fuels, or even with other biofuels, without major advances in technology.

All techno-economic assessments of algae biofuels are necessarily based on assumed processes for harvesting and oil recovery, as well as microalgae biomass productivity and oil content. These are the assumptions that R&D has to address...the major area for long-term cost improvements is in biology: the goal being to at least double biomass and oil productivity through strain selection and genetic modification. These strains must then be cultivated reliably in the outdoor ponds and harvested cheaply?major challenges that may require a decade?s effort or longer to become practical.

Additional cost reductions will need to come from engineering improvements in essentially all system components, such as in reactor construction, harvesting, dewatering, and oil recovery. Such advances must be proven in pilot-scale (~10 ha) production systems. The favorable economics of microalgae production for biofuel in conjunction with wastewater treatment could allow for practical, near-term development of engineering, technological, and human resources in this field.
?Lundquist et al.

The algae biofuels industry is still in its early stage, the report notes. Although well over 100 companies in the US and abroad are now working to produce algal biomass and oil for transportation fuels, most are small and none has yet operated a pilot plant with multiple acres of algae production systems. However, several companies recently initiated such scale-up projects, including several major oil companies such as ExxonMobil (which a year ago announced a $600-million commitment to algae biofuels technology), Shell (with a joint venture project, Cellana, in Hawaii), and Eni (the Italian oil company, with a pre-pilot plant in Sicily).

“Only through intensive, continuous, eventually large-scale research with outdoor ponds can we hope to achieve progress in any reasonable time frame: Intensive in terms of data collection, including both biotic and environmental parameters. Continuous means every day, every month, multiple years, and multiple locations; and large-scale in terms of the numbers of ponds and their sizes.”

The US Department of Energy has funded several R&D consortia and pilot projects, and one 300-acre demonstration project in New Mexico, by Sapphire Energy, Inc. The US Department of Defense is supporting several fast-track projects. In the United Kingdom, the Carbon Trust has initiated a 10-year effort to develop algae oil production, engaging a dozen universities and research laboratories, while the European Union recently funded three 25-acre pilot projects.

Most of these projects use the raceway, open pond-based algal production technologies, which were analyzed in the EBI report. These projects hope to show that it is possible to mass culture algae with current or near-term technology within the technical and economic constraints required for biofuel production.

Once the technologies are developed, global resource availability will be a major controller of algae production, the report states. Four key resources (suitable climate, water, flat land and carbon dioxide) must all be available in one location for optimal algal biomass production. The authors state that despite the need for all four resources, algal oil production technology has the potential to produce several billion gallons annually of renewable fuel in the US However, achieving this goal, particularly at competitive capital and operating costs, will require further research and development.

It is clear from this report that algae oil production will be neither quick nor plentiful?ten years is a reasonable projection for the R&D to allow a conclusion about the ability to achieve relatively low-cost algae biomass and oil production, at least for specific locations. Indeed, this is a short time frame, only possible because of the fast growth rates of algae. Rapid growth is one of the few fundamental advantages of microalgae compared to other sources of biofuels, as it suggest the ability to rapidly progress in the cultivation research (a week of algae cultivation is equivalent to over a whole year of growing a higher plant crop). This will accelerate both the research and also the ability to implement any results.
?Lundquist et al.

The project is one of the more than 70 studies on bioenergy now being pursued by the EBI and its scientists at the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, and Berkeley Lab. BP is supporting the Institute with a 10-year, $500-million grant.

Resources

Tryg Lundquist, Ian Woertz, Nigel Quinn, John Benemann (2010) A Realistic Technology and Engineering Assessment of Algae Biofuel Production. Energy Biosciences Institute Report, October 2010

Scientists Create Photovoltaic-Piezoelectric Fiber To Power Gadgets With Light & Motion

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 23:30:00 GMT

A group of researchers at the University of Bolton have created a new piezoelectric-photovoltaic fiber that has the possibility to be implemented into different gadgets to power them using light and motion.

Logitech?s Solar Powered Wireless Keyboard: Pointless Green In a Plastic Case

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:57:00 GMT

A solar powered keyboard has been launched by Logitech yesterday. Not only it will announce you through a special software that it needs recharging, the innovative keyboard also saves precious power... in vain.

How Bat Fatalities Could Be Reduced By Increasing Start Wind Speed Threshold For Wind Turbines

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:15:00 GMT

A study performed by Edward Arnett, from Bat Conservation International in Austing, TX, and his colleagues, have determined that wind turbine operators could lower bat deaths by as much as 93 percent and at least 44 percent by raising the wind speed threshold at which the turbines begin to spin.

Balqon to equip Ford assembly plant with electric yard tractors

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:14:00 GMT

Balqon Corporation, which develops and manufactures zero emissions, heavy-duty electric vehicles and drive systems, has collaborated with T&K Logistics, Inc. to provide an electric transportation solution for Ford Motor Company at its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan.

Under the arrangement, 10 Balqon Model XE20 (earlier post) 30-ton capacity electric yard tractors will be leased to T&K Logistics, Inc., a provider of logistics services to Ford Motor Company and manager of on-site transportation of trailers and containers at the Wayne facility.

Development and demonstration of Balqon’s electric yard tractors was funded in part by the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), beginning in 2007.

?Jack Rosebro

Chery A3CC Sports Coupe features three applications of SABIC plastic materials

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:04:00 GMT

Chery Automobile?s soon to be launched A3CC sports coupe features three applications of SABIC Innovative Plastics’ materials: the first Noryl GTX resin front fenders used by a Chinese automotive OEM; a fuel filler door, also molded from Noryl GTX resin; light weight front and rear energy absorbers made from Xenoy resin and an undertray, molded from Stamax long glass-filled polypropylene (LGFPP) compound.

Front fender. Chery is the first Chinese OEM to use conductive Noryl GTX resin for a mass-produced fender. Replacing steel body panels with Noryl GTX resin enabled Chery to cut fender weight by more than 50% vs. steel (1.37 kg vs. 2.80 kg) while delivering better low-speed impact durability than steel. Noryl GTX resin can be online painted along with the metal Body-In-White (BIW), avoiding the need for secondary operations and ensuring a perfect color match. Further, this conductive resin does not require a primer step prior to painting.

Fuel-filler door. This part is traditionally molded and painted by the component supplier, potentially causing color mismatches with the body. Molding this part from Noryl GTX resin enables it to be painted online along with the rest of the BIW. This streamlined approach avoids quality issues and enhances aesthetics.

Energy absorbers and undertray. The A3CC?s front bumper will incorporate an energy absorber made with Xenoy resin and an undertray molded with Stamax LGFPP compound. These components?which meet European Union (EU) 2003/102/EC Phase II lower leg pedestrian protection requirements and Economic Community of Europe (ECE) and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) impact test requirements for low speed vehicle damageability?form a globally compliant bumper system. The rear bumper system will also incorporate an energy absorber made with Xenoy resin, and meets ECE and FMVSS low-speed vehicle damageability requirements.

Overall benefits from SABIC Innovative Plastics? materials include weight-out for energy efficiency, part consolidation, design flexibility and system cost reduction from online painting.

Revolutionary Method Of Creating Conductive Transparent Thin Films Discovered by Mistake

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:39:00 GMT

A novel method for developing conductive and transparent thin films, that could be used in applications ranging from solar cells to ultracapacitors, has been discovered by a team of UCLA researchers, by mistake.

Baard Energy raises $2.5B for coal/biomass-to-liquids plant in Ohio; construction to begin late spring or early summer 2011

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:28:00 GMT

Youngstown Business Journal. Baard Energy LLC, a company seeking to build a coal/biomass-to-liquids (CBTL) plant in Ohio (earlier post) has raised $2.5B from investors in the coal and energy markets and is preparing to begin construction of the nearly $6 billion Ohio River Clean Fuels Project by late spring or early summer.

The $2.5 billion will fund the land purchase and construction of the first phase of the project, which likely will likely take nearly three years, [president and CEO, John] Baardson said. Each of the two following phases will cost roughly $2 billion. Purchase of the land will begin next month and continue through the holiday season followed by engineering work, he said, then construction when the weather warms up. Construction will create up to 4,000 jobs, and the plant itself will employ some 415 when it?s operating.

The Ohio River Clean Fuels plant will use coal and other alternate feedstocks, such as waste wood, to produce 52,000 barrels daily of extremely clean diesel and jet fuel, as well as naphtha, by using the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. Naphtha is a low-octane gasoline used as a feedstock in the chemical industry.

Although the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers issued permits for the plant in 2008, the Sierra Club and the Natural Resource Defense Council filed appeals challenging the building permits.

The plaintiffs accused the government entities of failing to adequately assess the environmental impact of Baard?s proposed liquefaction plant. Although the appeal for one of the three permits has since been ruled in Baard?s favor, the action forced the company to rescind its application for $2.5 billion in funding through the US Department of Energy?s Loan Guarantee Program.

Kia shows Forte LPG Hybrid Concept at SEMA

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:13:00 GMT

Among the lineup of concept and production-intent vehicles Kia is showcasing at the SEMA show in Las vegas this week is the Kia Forte Hybrid Concept.

Forte Hybrid Concept. Click to enlarge.

Created by Kinetic Motorsports, the Hybrid Concept combines a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine fueled by liquefied petroleum gas (propane) and lithium polymer battery with accentuated design characteristics, including body panel enhancements and a lowered stance.

The Kia Forte Hybrid Concept is accentuated by cast aluminum alloy wheels and low-rolling resistance tires for improved fuel economy and reduced road noise. On the inside, interior panel treatments feature custom enhancements, while a 1200 watt Infinity audio system will entertain passengers.

The “Charge As You Drive” Electric Car

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:04:00 GMT

Let's face it .. electric vehicles have one big serious drawback: cables. You can't go far in them and when you do you need to grapple with some serpentine cable to get energy back into the car. Green it might be, convenient it certainly ain't.

Wouldn't it be great if you could just drive to work and know your car would still be fully charged when you got there? You'd have to do nothing else .. no plugging in, no battery drops, no nothing. You wouldn't even have to stop at a gas station. Bye bye cable, bye bye pumps : hello freedom!

This isn't some photovoltaic wet dream of solar efficiency or rehash of energy recovery systems. This is inductive power transfer (IPT) and its being used to turn the next generation of highways into car charging arteries.

The principle behind IPT has been around for ages: it relies on magnetic fields to make electrons to move, thus creating an electric current without a physical connection. It's how electric toothbrushes and a whole host of other everyday objects get charged up without dangerous open connectors.

The theory of charging electric vehicles this way has also been mooted for years, but no ones managed to make it commercially viable ? until now.

HaloIPT is a New Zealand startup whose major investors include the engineering giant Arup. Their solution is simple: two pads, one on the bottom of the car, one under the tarmac, and when the car is over the pad it automatically charges.

Voilà! No cables, no battery drops, no nothing. Simply install the pads on your driveway or office parking spaces, and your electric vehicle can charge whatever the weather in a safe and electrocution-risk-free environment.

But wait a sec, didn't I mention car charging arteries? Indeed I did, because this is where HaloIPT's vision starts to take off.

As highways undergo normal maintenance, why not install the pads under the road surface while you're at it? Many roads already have an electricity infrastructure for street lighting etc; with an upgrade it could easily support the pads (up to 125A is thought to be sufficient).

This way, as the HaloIPT website puts it, ?[when] you drive, the pad underneath your electric car picks up charge ? safely, reliably ? from pads embedded in the road. Every time you pass over a pad, the battery receives a fresh top-up.?

Now you've got to admit it, that's neat!

HaloIPT are currently calling for early adopters to put the system through its paces, although sadly this is limited to the UK and New Zealand only. To take part go to HaloIPT ? Projects and click on ?Get Involved?.

A full commercial scale demonstration of the technology is planned for 2012.

^{Picture Credit: Motorway A73 by night by mauricekoop under Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives License.}

Bloomberg – Up to 9 percent plug-in by 2020, 22 percent by 2030

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:00:00 GMT

Tesla's Model S electric sedan

But only with aggressive battery cost cuts and rising gas prices

If battery costs can be cut significantly and coupled with increasing gas prices, Bloomberg New Energy Finance is forecasting that up to 9 percent of US auto sales could be made up of plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles by 2020, increasing to 22 percent by 2030.

For comparison, last week JD Power predicted that hybrids and plug-ins combined would achieve just 7.3 percent penetration by 2020, with plug-ins making up 1.8 percent of the market.

On the other hand, PRTM estimates that by 2020 plug-ins will achieve between 9 and 11 percent market penetration, while hybrid vehicles will reach 20%.

My two cents

Several years ago JD Power predicted that hybrids would achieve up to 3 percent market share by 2010, a forecast that proved to be extremely reliable, while I forecast up to 10 percent or more. While I believe that hybrid and plug-in penetration should top 10 percent and push towards 20 percent ? with hybrids taking the lion's share ? I wouldn't bet against JD Power if odds were offered in Vegas.

Source: GreenCarCongress

New Global Biofuels Alliance Announced

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:38:00 GMT

Five biodiesel companies have come together to launch an new biodiesel lobbying organization called the Global Biofuels Alliance, Inc. The effort was led by HERO BX, one of the country's largest biodiesel producers. The first goal of the organization is to focus on reinstating the Biodiesel Blenders Tax Credit, which expired on December 31, 2009.

According to Mike Noble, co-founder of the alliance and President of HERO BX, the group is a nonprofit organization designed to support energy independence for the United States. Target members include representing small to midsize biofuels producers, traders, marketers, distributors, and other interested biofuels parties. The group was formed as an alternative to what Kevin Gorman, Chairman of the Board of Global Biofuels Alliance and President of Nextfuels, Inc., based in San Francisco, says is a ?more narrowly focused National Biodiesel Board.?

?I think to be honest with you, we are trying to get an organization out there that represents the group and try to let the Senate and Congress know what needs to be done,? Gorman said in the Erie Times. ?We need to create a viable industry where we can grow.?

The five founding members, each contributed $25,000 to get the organization off the ground which included hiring Brad Davis as the new Chief Executive, who was formerly the president of Lake Erie Biofuels. The group hopes that it grows to more than 100 companies. While the tax credit is of utmost concern to the group today, ultimately their goal is to help the country achieve energy independence.

Corn Growers Adopt New Logo

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:12:00 GMT

The National Corn Growers Association has unveiled a new logo for their identity. It's the first time the organization has adopted a new brand in many years.

?In August, we reached a record membership level of 36,216 individual dues paying members,? said NCGA President Bart Schott, a corn farmer in Kulm, N.D. ?We've also got a record number of entries in our National Corn Yield Contest as it approaches its 50th year, and more and more of our growers are becoming more involved in our organization.?

?We are always taking a fresh look at how to approach what we do and just as farmers embrace new technology and new ideas for their fields, so too it has become time to embrace a new look and feel for our national organization,? Schott added. ?This new symbol for our association reflects our movement forward as a team working to create and increase opportunities for corn growers, and harvesting progress along the way.?

Hydrogen Trucks and Utility Vehicles Get Boost

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:10:00 GMT

In the last 3 blog posts I?ve talked about hydrogen forklifts and hydrogen fuel cell range extenders for all-electric vehicles. In this post I would like to talk about hydrogen trucks and utility vehicles including those with fuel cell range extenders.

I?ve talked about hydrogen trucks before. And in the same vein I?ve talked about the Smith Newton 7.5 to 12.0 ton all-electric truck getting a hydrogen fuel cell range extender as a test to check out performance and see if this combination will be commercialized. The early results look encouraging.

Toro, a name you may recognize as the builder of lawn vehicles and equipment, is another manufacturer that I?ve spoken about in the past. Toro is teaming up with ATK, an aerospace and defense company, to build 2 hydrogen fuel cell utility vehicles for the Navy. The kicker on these vehicles is that they will be using a solid hydrogen storage system for fuel.

And in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, a hydrogen vehicle refueling and loading station is being launched. This station will supply compressed hydrogen gas to 7 H2 trucks. The Smart Fuel Solutions system will refuel 4 SRC trucks and 3 SaskEnergy trucks that have been converted to run on hydrogen.

So, while the hydrogen car market moves slowly but surely forward, other markets such as hydrogen forklifts, trucks and utility vehicles are charging ahead at a much faster pace.

Get Out and VOTE!

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:09:00 GMT

Hopefully everyone reading this will be wearing one of these ?I Voted? stickers by the end of today ? well, assuming your polling place has them. Mine didn't this morning and I was quite disappointed. It's kind of like getting ashes on Ash Wednesday ? wearing it is a reminder to others of what day it is.

Much is being made about this year's election, with many calling it one of the most significant in our lifetime. Fact is, every election year is significant. Voting is the single most important act we can perform as citizens of a free country.

Take advantage of it and VOTE ? NOW!

Daily News?11/02/10

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:02:00 GMT

North Carolina: Fort Bragg Army Base makes their own biodiesel fuel from used cooking oil

Ft. Bragg might be the home of the U.S. Army?s Airborne soldiers (by the way, as a former Air Force guy, we land those planes ? you don?t have to jump out!), but the North Carolina post soon could be known as the home to clean air, born of biodiesel!

The Fayetteville (NC) Observer reports that the Army recently highlighted biodiesel during Ft. Bragg?s recent Green Living & Design Tour:

Fort Bragg is now served by seven separate shuttle routes. The buses are powered by B-20 fuel, which is 20 percent biodiesel fuel and 80 percent petroleum diesel fuel, and are hybrid electric diesel buses. Emissions reduction is about 20 percent and may be as much as 70 percent with hybrid technology, according to the Fort Bragg green tour fact sheet?

Fort Bragg has the ability to transform used cooking oil into biodiesel.

Recycling is basic to life, even on an Army base, so every base should really have a biodiesel production program. I am very proud of Fort Bragg for using biodiesel.

New alliance joins forces in lobbying for the advance of energy independence

Image from: http://greenbigtruck.com/2010/01/biodiesel-producers-are-seeing-trouble-ahead/

Erie-based Hero BX, one of the nation's largest biodiesel producers, has joined four other energy-related companies to launch a national lobbying organization.

The name, Global Biofuels Alliance Inc., seems to suggest an organization to support the biodiesel industry.

The reality is something different, said Mike Noble, the chief executive of Hero BX and co-founder of the alliance.

"It's a nonprofit organization to support energy independence for the United States," he said.

Energy independence could take the form of solar, wind, natural gas, biofuels, ethanol and oil.

"In my opinion, it could be anything to make us less dependent on foreign oil," he said. "Why should we send $268 billion a year over to Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and all the rest?"

Now you are talking, join together and keep reminding our government that we are addicted to foreign oil, and biodiesel can help us become more independent.

ADM to open second biodiesel plant in Brazil

Photo from: http://www.isgs.illinois.edu/research/sequestration/seq-01-2008.shtml

CHICAGO -(Dow Jones)- Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) will begin construction of a second biodiesel plant in Brazil in 2011, chief executive Patricia Woertz said Tuesday.

The plant will have an annual capacity of 164,000 metric tons and will be adjacent to a soybean crushing facility in Santa Catarina. Construction will begin in 2011, with completion in 2012, Woertz said.

The announcement reaffirms the company's previously announced goal of increasing soybean processing capacity by 7% to 10%.

This early announcement in a financial publication will be followed up by more information as the plant nears opening. Why a soybean biodiesel plant in Brazil instead of Iowa? Let?s try to find out, shall we?

Carbohydrate-to-lipid project may allow biodiesel to be made from sugar

Photo from: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/biofuel/4270240

A research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has won a $50,000 ConocoPhillips Energy Prize to support the development of a carbohydrate-to-biodiesel process. The technology, which is designed to significantly increase yields, may also provide a pathway for the direct conversion of hydrogen and carbon dioxide into biofuels.
According to Gregory Stephanopoulos, an MIT processor of chemical engineering who is leading the project, the technology utilizes an engineered microbe to convert carbohydrate feedstocks into lipids. While Stephanopoulos noted that he is unable to disclose specific details of the process due to its proprietary nature, he said that the patent-pending technology can be applied to a wide portfolio of carbohydrate feedstocks, including sugars, glucose, glycerin, hydrolysates from biomass and algae.
?The yields that we obtain from this microbe are very remarkable,? Stephanopoulos said. ?They are very close to the theoretical maximum. For a project like biodiesel, you need to have very high yields, otherwise the cost of the feedstock becomes prohibitively high.?

There are new methods for making biodiesel in the lab which will be patented, and only then will we be able to see all the secret methods laid out for the patent office.

Political Odd Couple to Highlight Ethanol Conference

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:52:00 GMT

America's most well-known political odd couple will be the keynote speakers for the 2011 National Ethanol Conference, February 20-22 in Phoenix.

According to the Renewable Fuels Association, James Carville and Mary Matalin will ?present an enlightening and entertaining look at today's most important political issues and a behind-the-scenes look at how the outcome of the 2010 Congressional elections will affect Congress and the 2012 Presidential campaign.?

Co-authors of the national best seller All's Fair: Love, War, and Running for President, Matalin and Carville are key players on the national political stage?they each have over 30 years of experience in politics and have worked for every president over the last three decades. They combine their unique experiences to provide audiences with a stimulating, candid and provocative conversation from both sides of the political aisle.

The theme of the 2011 conference is ?Building Bridges to a More Sustainable Future? and there is lots more on the agenda for the premier education and networking opportunity for the ethanol industry. Information on the full agenda, registration and sponsorship opportunities is available on-line.

Biofuels Journal Ethanol Workshop A Success

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:30:00 GMT

The third annual BioFuels Journal Commercial Ethanol Technology and Research Workshop, in partnership with the American Coalition for Ethanol, was a success with nearly 100 attendees coming to St. Joseph, Missouri. This workshop is unique in that it focuses on bolt-ons for existing ethanol plants and new technologies for advanced biofuels. According to Myke Feinman, Publisher of BioFuels Journal, the audience was very positive, especially as they learned that advanced biofuels are here now, not five years down the road. This spurred a lot of conversation on how to get banks to free up financing for plants to invest in the new technologies.

Feinman said one of the most exiting presentations was delivered by Doug Rivers, Director of Research and Development for ICM, Inc. Rivers spoke about ICM's Total Kernel Optimization Program and reflected on the potential for corn dry grind plants to utilize the fiber in corn as an additional feedstock for cellulosic ethanol right at the plants.

The technology is featured in LifeLine Foods' fractionation plant, based in St. Joseph, Missouri, and is one of only five dry grind ethanol plants currently operating in the U.S. Attendees were able to tour the plant as part of the workshop.

In addition, Feinman said economist John Urbanchuk gave a very well-recieved talk on the economics of ethanol and how it positively impacts the economy, such as adding millions of dollars. He pointed out that rural communities with ethanol plants are prospering, not because of the 40 to 50 jobs it created, but because of the additional market for the farmers corn and all the additional dollars pumped into the community by the plant and its connected businesses.

For those who missed the workshop, you can access the speakers' presentations on BioFuels Journal's website. and Feinman said they will be hosting their next workshop in the fall of 2011.

Portable Solar Desalination Plant from MIT [VIDEO]

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:00:00 GMT

This is something I've been wanting to write on for awhile, but knowing that it would be cool news no matter when I shared it, I let it sit in line for longer than I normally would.

MIT engineers from the Field and Space Robotics Laboratory have come up with the concept for a solar-powered, portable desalination plant and have built early versions of it. While this technology may never be practical as a very widespread solution to clean drinking water (or maybe it will ?), it seems that it could be very helpful in certain situations, such as after big natural disasters or in remote locations with limited clean water resources.

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg of sustainablog writes:

When island nations experience disaster (think the Haitian earthquake), the victims are often faced with a cruel irony summed up (in a different context) by the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge: ?Water, water, everywhere,/Nor any drop to drink.? Sure, aid organizations and other countries can deliver bottled water to address the immediate need, but that?s not a sustainable long-term solution; people need regular access to clean drinking water as they?re rebuilding whatever infrastructure existed prior to the disaster.

MIT's Field and Space Robotics Laboratory writes:

The supply of energy and clean water to remote locations, such as desert facilities, farming operations, resorts, and small villages in the developing world can be logistically complex and expensive. This project explores the feasibility, design and control of small smart power units to provide clean water and energy to remote sites by using solar power and reverse osmosis modules?.

More on the Details of this Portable Solar Desalination Plant

The working prototype MIT engineers have developed ?is capable of producing 80 gallons of water a day in a variety of weather conditions,? but the engineers have much bigger long-term goals.

The intention it to create a system that can provide 1000 gallons of water a day and can be rapidly deployed for a total construction cost of about $8000.

And, yes, the designers are addressing the concern of inconsistent sunlight. Watch the video below of a demonstration project in Boston on a partly cloudy day.

Looks like a great potential solution to drinking water needs in a variety of places and situations, if it can be developed as intended.

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Photo Credit: MIT

Dow to produce advantaged materials for energy storage; initial focus on automotive

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:49:00 GMT

The Dow Chemical Company is organizing a new business that will manufacture advantaged battery materials for the energy storage industry. With an initial focus on the automotive market, Dow will sell advantaged materials that will enable manufacturers of rechargeable lithium ion batteries to produce batteries with extended run times, increased power and operational life, with equal or enhanced safety performance than what is commercially available today.

Improving battery performance in the energy storage industry is a critical need that will significantly shift the behavior and dynamics of the industry, thereby creating strong opportunities for chemistry-enabled materials solutions, Dow says.

Estimates of the energy storage industry project growth from $24 billion today to $74 billion by 2020, with the largest growth opportunity in the automotive market.

Dow is committed to meeting the short- and long-term needs of the energy storage industry with a comprehensive and multi-generational commercial materials strategy.
?Monty Bayer, global business director, Dow Ventures & Business Development, Licensing and Venture Capital

Federal stimulus funds channeled toward domestic development of electric vehicle technology has created an opportunity to strengthen the energy storage industry in the US, which is currently based in Japan and Korea. The combination of unmet technical needs, stimulus for rapid growth in vehicle electrification, and geographic shift creates unique opportunities for Dow. Dow anticipates sales to begin in 2012.

Dow?s capabilities and relationships span the value chain from material science to battery manufacture and key end use markets.

Contour Energy Systems awarded patent for fluorinated carbon nanomaterials and Fluorinetic manufacturing; enhanced Li-ion batteries

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:28:00 GMT

Contour Energy Systems, Inc., a spinoff of the collaboration between CalTech and CNRS focused on developing new fluorine-based battery chemistries, nanomaterials science and manufacturing processes for lithium-ion energy storage systems (earlier post), has been awarded a US patent (US 7,794,880) for its proprietary Fluorinetic production process and fluorinated multi-layered carbon nanomaterials. These technologies will produce significantly longer-lasting portable power solutions with greater power and energy densities than traditional lithium batteries, the company said.

Today?s latest patent protects one of the most prized and strategic technologies in our fast-growing IP portfolio. Our Fluorinetic manufacturing processes and new carbon nanomaterials are game-changing technologies which will be instrumental in developing new batteries with dramatically improved power and energy density, longevity, durability and service life. This newly patented technology is central to Contour?s next-generation batteries that are targeting automotive, consumer, industrial, medical, military and transportation markets.
?Joe Fisher, CEO of Contour Energy Systems

As the commercialization arm for this technology, initially developed at California Institute of Technology and CNRS, the French National Center for Scientific Research, Contour Energy Systems maintains an exclusive worldwide licensing arrangement with both institutions covering advanced battery and electrochemical systems technology.

The Fluorinetic manufacturing process is a unique characteristic of Contour Energy?s carbon fluoride batteries.

This proprietary process for introducing fluorine into multi-layered carbon nanomaterials provides a fundamentally different molecular structure than found for traditional carbon fluoride materials. This new structure, coupled with the use of novel multi-layered carbon nanomaterials, affords significant advantages over existing battery types, including substantial increases in energy and power densities, reliable operation under extreme conditions, an extended shelf life and avoidance of overheating, any of which can be optimized for specific applications.
?Dr. Simon Jones, director of research and development at Contour Energy Systems

Contour combines the advantages offered by its newly patented technology with carbon fluoride chemistry that can be customized during key steps in the manufacturing process by altering the cathode?s physical structure at the atomic level. This Tunable Cathode also plays a key role in providing customers with batteries featuring an optimal combination of higher energy and/or power densities, and lower self-discharge rates.

Mission Motors launches EV powertrain division targeting OEM sales across multiple vehicle platforms

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:17:00 GMT

Mission Motors, developer of the high-performance Mission One PLE electric motorcycle, launched Mission Electric Vehicle Technology (MissionEVT), the company’s high-performance EV Powertrain Division, at the 2010 Specialty Equipment Marketing Association Show (SEMA) in Las Vegas.

MissionEVT will design and supply high-performance EV powertrains, including energy storage systems, drive systems and software intelligence, to the OEM market, targeting a wide range of vehicle applications?including battery-electric, plug-in hybrid electric and hybrid-electric vehicles. Mission Motors CEO Jit Bhattacharya said that the company already has contracts with two major vehicle manufacturers, and ultimately envisions producing electric powertrains?using its own as well as contract manufacturing capabilities?for application in OEM gliders.

The modular MissionEVT systems can be scaled up for use in large trucks or down for innovative personal transportation solutions as well as for motorcycles and light-duty vehicles, the company says. The powertrain division will also offer engineering and integration services.

With MissionEVT, our company will be able to expand into new markets, bringing the advances we have made in EV technology to multiple vehicle platforms and manufacturers. This creates a tremendous high-volume opportunity for Mission's powertrain technology, while solving a critical need for vehicle manufacturers trying to keep pace with the rapid electrification of vehicles.

Modularity is key to the MissionEVT solution. It gives us the flexibility to improve the performance of a wide range of vehicle applications. MissionEVT can configure our powertrain technology to work for applications ranging from powersports to automotive, and from battery electric to gasoline hybrid.
?Jit Bhattacharya

MissionEVT leverages the work done by Mission Motors’ to develop its high-performance electric motorcycle, the Mission One PLE superbike. To meet the speed, range, packaging and dynamic requirements of the high-performance electric motorcycle, the company developed new battery, motor control, and vehicle software management systems, improving the weight, size, and modularity of these core components.

Mission One PLE. The Mission One PLE powertrain includes a liquid-cooled, 3-phase AC induction motor, single-speed transmission, and high energy Li-ion battery pack with integrated thermal management system. The motor outputs about 100 kW (an appropriate level for series hybrid applications, noted Bhattacharya) and 100 lb-ft (136 N&iddot;m) of torque. The electric bike has a top speed of 150 mph (241 km/h) and an estimated range of 150 miles. Recharging takes about 2 hours at 240V.

MissionEVT. MissionEVT offers energy storage, drive systems, software intelligence, and system integration.

Energy storage. MissionEVT’s energy storage system brings together a range of component technologies including: battery modules, battery management systems, onboard charge systems, and low-voltage vehicle power.
Drive systems. At power ranges between 10 and 150 kW, MissionEVT offers power-dense liquid-cooled motor solutions for a range of applications.

MissionEVT’s Motor Controller brings together advanced inverter technology and digital control in a single unit capable of driving more than 100 kW. This high-voltage controller introduces new techniques for efficiently removing heat from high-power electronics, according to MissionEVT, allowing the system to get more power from a simpler, lighter electronics package. Embedded at the core of the controller is a digital signal processor running MissionEVT’s Motor Control Software.

MissionEVT’s control software dynamically adjusts drive algorithms to maximize system efficiency across the drive cycle. The system also gives manufacturers access to control features such as adjustable regenerative braking, adjustable throttle maps, and automatic traction control. MissionEVT’s software has the flexibility to drive both AC Induction and Permanent Magnet motors, bringing MissionEVT motor control to a broad range of applications.
Software intelligence. MissionEVT’s “software intelligence’s has two main aspects: the Vehicle Management Software (VMS) and the Cell-to-Server data acquisition system.

Vehicle Management Software (VMS) monitors and manages every aspect of the vehicle and the powertrain, linking the energy storage system, the drive system, and the vehicle operator into a single network. Built on a Linux-based platform and running a safe real-time operating system, VMS continuously monitors the safety and performance of the electric powertrain. Designed using a CANBus architecture, the MissionEVT vehicle management system serves as a hub for MissionEVT components as well as client systems across the vehicle.

The Cell-To-Server data-acquisition system captures real-time battery and vehicle data (temperature, state-of-charge, power, speed, GPS coordinates, and more) and transmits it to a central server via cellular networks. This data set can be used to refine battery and vehicle design, reduce total cost of ownership, and enable smarter vehicle use by the driver. Tracking and analyzing performance across full-fleet deployments allows better maintenance tracking and sophisticated cost optimization. The Cell-to-Server system will also enable integration into the future smart-grid.
System integration. MissionEVT can support clients at all stages of product development, including Powertrain System Specification; Concept Design, Construction, and Review; System Engineering, Construction, and Testing; FMEA, Hazards Analysis, and Fault Tree Analysis; Safety and Regulatory Testing; Validation Prototypes Construction and Testing; and Volume Production.

Billy Eichner-Miners.....

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:15:00 GMT

So is it safe to not care about miners again? - Billy Eichner

Solar-Powered Community Transporters in Florida

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:00:00 GMT

I love finding great clean energy news from my home state of Florida, and even more so from my home city of Sarasota. For some reason, it makes it all seem a little more real, a little more significant, and a little more widespread to me.

News from Florida now is that Pelican Bay, Florida will be using completely solar-powered community transporters, mostly for transporting its many tourists around the community. And, I was surprised to find out, these solar-powered community transporters will be coming from Sarasota! Eco Trans Alliance is the Sarasota-based company that creates them.

Domestic Fuel writes:

Tourists who visit Pelican Bay, one of Florida?s premier beachfront communities, will now be transported via solar trams. The Pelican Bay Foundation, which owns 43 acres of parks, recreation areas, beachfront facilities and boardwalks, has officially converted their resident transportation trams system to solar/electric vehicles provided by Eco Trans Alliance of Sarasota, Florida.

Curious exactly what a ?solar-powered community transporter? is? The photos above, of course, are worth a thousand words. But for some text, these are solar/electric ?tram systems? (or, I would say, golf carts). Domestic Fuel reports that the ones Pelican Bay will be getting will include 460-watt solar charging systems on board. Each solar charging system is expected to produce over 400 kWh of electricity. Replacing all 40 of the community's trams with these solar/electric vehicles is expected to cut the community's CO2 emissions by 22,000 pounds a year.

I wrote on similar solar/electric vehicles (free ones) from the Solar Electric Vehicle Company last year. Looks like more companies are venturing into this field and are able to find clients who see the value in these innovative vehicles.

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Photo Credits: Eco Trans Alliance

Solar Powered Keyboard by Logitech

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:37:00 GMT

Logitech has come out with a PC keyboard that incorporates little solar panels. Placing the keyboard near a light source fires up the solar cells and Logitech claims that charge will last at least 3 months in "total darkness." Seems like a feature that may come in handy if you lose your job and can't pay the electricity bill.

It's been designed for indoor/outdoor use and easy to carry at just a third of an inch thick. For use with Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. We have Windows 7 and highly recommend it by the way!

Wireless at 2.4Ghz you'll be able to take the keyboard and still use it while roaming around-hopefully not in "total darkness." There's also a power level indicator that let's you know if it needs a charge and an on/off switch.

The 2.4 wireless also includes 128-bit AES encryption with the keyboard ? one of the highest levels of security available.

Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 is pre-ordering at $79.00 and will be available in the U.S. and Europe sometime this month November 2010.

Check it out at Logitech.

Renewable Energy

Toyota adds Plus Performance Package to Prius

Check out those phat Prius rims

Historic US Vote Makes Buildings 30% More Energy Efficient

New gas engines could spark fuel economy wars

Hybrid fuel economy without hybrid technology?

Ethanol Industry Files Against California LCFS

Is Focus on Bigger Projects Holding Solar Back in the U.S.?

EBI study concludes potential contribution of microalgae biofuels in US will be modest due to resource constraints and cost

Scientists Create Photovoltaic-Piezoelectric Fiber To Power Gadgets With Light &amp; Motion

Logitech?s Solar Powered Wireless Keyboard: Pointless Green In a Plastic Case

How Bat Fatalities Could Be Reduced By Increasing Start Wind Speed Threshold For Wind Turbines

Balqon to equip Ford assembly plant with electric yard tractors

Chery A3CC Sports Coupe features three applications of SABIC plastic materials

Revolutionary Method Of Creating Conductive Transparent Thin Films Discovered by Mistake

Baard Energy raises $2.5B for coal/biomass-to-liquids plant in Ohio; construction to begin late spring or early summer 2011

Kia shows Forte LPG Hybrid Concept at SEMA

The “Charge As You Drive” Electric Car

Bloomberg – Up to 9 percent plug-in by 2020, 22 percent by 2030

But only with aggressive battery cost cuts and rising gas prices

New Global Biofuels Alliance Announced

Corn Growers Adopt New Logo

Hydrogen Trucks and Utility Vehicles Get Boost

Get Out and VOTE!

Daily News?11/02/10

North Carolina: Fort Bragg Army Base makes their own biodiesel fuel from used cooking oil

New alliance joins forces in lobbying for the advance of energy independence

ADM to open second biodiesel plant in Brazil

Carbohydrate-to-lipid project may allow biodiesel to be made from sugar

Political Odd Couple to Highlight Ethanol Conference

Biofuels Journal Ethanol Workshop A Success

Portable Solar Desalination Plant from MIT [VIDEO]

Dow to produce advantaged materials for energy storage; initial focus on automotive

Contour Energy Systems awarded patent for fluorinated carbon nanomaterials and Fluorinetic manufacturing; enhanced Li-ion batteries

Mission Motors launches EV powertrain division targeting OEM sales across multiple vehicle platforms

Billy Eichner-Miners.....

Solar-Powered Community Transporters in Florida

Solar Powered Keyboard by Logitech

Scientists Create Photovoltaic-Piezoelectric Fiber To Power Gadgets With Light & Motion