The Green Optimistic

Solar Impulse: Viable Manned Flight Powered by The Sun

Cristi — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:20:16 +0000

Solar Impulse, the first solar powered plane has been unveiled in Switzerland. With a wingspan of a Boeing 747 but lighter than a small car, the plan could fly around the world powered entirely by the sun.

Artificial Leaves Will Convert Light into Electricity

Mike — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:18:09 +0000

Researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands plan to develop artificial leaf using nature’s building blocks to harness solar energy even in the worst places.

Microalgae Biofuel an Alternative to Crop Biofuel

Cristi — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:29:11 +0000

Using crops as a source of energy generated in the past years a great controversy. Once because we could use those crops as food for people and second because we use good agriculture lands to generate energy. But what if we could use an alternative to the crops and use smaller areas of lands to generate the same amount of energy?

Earthquakes: The Other Side of Drilling for Geothermal Power

Ovidiu — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:45:03 +0000

Geothermal technology surely is one of the cleanest technologies available to us, extracting clean heat from the hot underground. This energy source is often seen as inexhaustible, and its benefits seem to outweight its weak points. For decades, geothermal companies have been drilling into Earth's crust at depths of over 4-5km.

Dean Kamen’s Stirling Engine Hybrid Scooter Runs on Anything

Ovidiu — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:16:11 +0000

The inventor of Segway (you know, those 2-wheeled self-balancing personal transporters you see in touristic cities - I saw one in Rome) is now specializing in Stirling engines - the grandfather of the steam engine and more efficient than current gasoline engines.

Oceanic Winds Prove Efficient Renewable Energy Resources

Mike — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:20:39 +0000

In the renewable energy field offshore wind farms are not a new concept and Europe has already made several developments in the technology, which promises better returns than onshore farms being built all over the world.

Newly Developed Light Sensor Could Improve Solar Cells and Cameras

Mike — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:14:15 +0000

Scientists at the University of Toronto have created a new type of light sensor that acts like a pixel in a digital camera. Researchers believe the sensor, which takes advantage of a phenomenon called multi-exciton generation (MEG), could lead to substantial advancements in the performance of a variety of electronic devices including digital cameras.

PET Bottles Used to Sustain Wind Power

Cristi — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:47:50 +0000

Some people have realized that our interference with the planet's ecosystems is in most cases disastrous and have come with several ideas to diminish our influence on the environment. Industrial designer Chris Allen has come up with an idea to use plastic bottles that we usually throw away to help generate energy from wind.

Thin-Film Panchromatic Solar Cells: Next Generation of Solar Efficiency

Cristi — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:07:05 +0000

A Korean team led by Nam-Gyu Park has recently made a breakthrough discovery in solar cell development. This discovery will not only increase the efficiency of thin-film panchromatic solar cells but as well the use of clean and reusable energy on the entire globe.

Incredible Synthetic Tree for CO2 Sequestration

Cristi — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:55:19 +0000

Columbia University has announced the development of a structure that could capture carbon 1,000 times faster than a real tree. Klaus Lackner said, as the "tree" could be used for capturing carbon which has been already emitted into the air by car gasoline or airplain fuel.

Fraunhofer’s Very Efficient Solar Cell Concentrator

Cristi — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:13:01 +0000

Solar cell system which concentrate solar light through lenses seem to be the most efficient and advantageous. The concentrator enables the system to work with cheaper lens system instead of expensive semi-conductor materials, making it as well more efficient.

Modular, Portable Nuclear Reactors: Energy Solution for Poor Countries?

Ovidiu — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:09:03 +0000

Modular thinking has brought us many wonderful things in technology, medicine, and in most exact sciences. I see no reason why it should not work in power generation.

Green Power Express Electricity Superhighway Project in Development

Cristi — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:58:34 +0000

In order to satisfy energy needs for people in the Upper Midwest of US, The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved a green energy project. The green power superhighway(around 3,000 miles) will deliver energy to consumers in and around Chicago, Minneapolis and other load centers.

Farewell, Michael Jackson…

Ovidiu — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:08:37 +0000

The first thing I read when I woke up this morning was Michael Jackson's death. "Earth Song" and "Heal the World" were among the first that taught me about caring for the environment and for the people as a part of it.

Complex Algae-Powered Energy System Made by a 15-Year Old

Cristi — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:21:36 +0000

This years scholarship prize of $20,000 of Invent Your World Challenge went to a 15 year old fellow from Texas called Javier Fernández-Han, who proved us all that renewable energy is the way we should direct our creativity upon.

Thinergy Micro Energy Cells - Harvesting The Smallest Power Sources

Ovidiu — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:07:33 +0000

Infinite Power Solutions want to revolutionize the way we use batteries in our gadgets and also make a profit off it, so they invented a different kind of thin film rechargeable batteries.

Super-Efficient Vertical Wind Turbines for Home Use

Cristi — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:58:43 +0000

A Taiwanese company called Hi Energy Technology has brought onto market a new design of a vertical wind turbine which they intend to sell for home use.

Carbonized Chicken Feathers Better Than Carbon Nanotubes at Storing Hydrogen

Ovidiu — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:04:42 +0000

Delaware University scientists have found that not only the latest hi-tech nanotubes or metal composites can store hydrogen effectively, but also a substance that's been around for millions of years, naturally: carbonized keratin.

Italian Researchers Inventing New Type of Solar Concentrator

Ovidiu — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:41:09 +0000

Roberto de Luca and Aniello Fedullo from the University Salerno of Italy invented a new solar concentrating device they say is inspired by the Ear of Dionysus. According to the legends, Doinysus's ear had an elliptical cave so he could hear even the weakest whispers of a prisoner in one of the cave's foci.

Sony Ericsson Says Solar Powered Cell Phones Not So Green

Ovidiu — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:27:08 +0000

Not long ago, I presented some cell phones that, among their many functions, also incorporated a small solar panel, for flexible charging and green purposes. Well, those green purposes prove themselves being not so green, if we take into account recent studies.

Highly-Integrated Organic Photovoltaic Modules Developed by Mitsubishi

Mike — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:32:12 +0000

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokki Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), have created a new highly-integrated organic photovoltaic module.

Tiny Biological Fuel Cells Could Power Future Implants

Mike — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:13:37 +0000

Scientists at the University of Georgia have discovered a new way to grow molecular wire brushes that conduct electrical charges. According to the researchers, this discovery is the first step in developing fuel cells for devices such as cochlear implants, prosthetic limbs and pacemakers.

63% Efficient Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Developed by NGK

Ovidiu — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:03:41 +0000

Highly efficient hydrogen fuel cells are wanted due to the high price the existing ones have so far. So, being efficient means less money spent on them, and more market share for hydrogen. SOFCs (solid oxide fuel cell) are a type of hydrogen fuel cell that use solid (not liquid) electrolyte to do their job, while being much more efficient.

Sainsbury’s Using Parking Cars’ Kinetic Energy to Power Up

Ovidiu — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:50:13 +0000

Sainsbury's, from Gloucester, UK, is the first supermarket to use the kinetic energy coming from the cars entering their parking lot to (partially) power their shop.

Trains Polluting More Than Airplanes in the U.S.?

Ovidiu — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:28:47 +0000

A recent study reveals shocking figures telling that, basically, traveling by train pollutes the environment more than traveling by airplane. How can that be?

World’s Thinnest Superconductor Ever Created

Cristi — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:34:02 +0000

Dr. Ken Shih and some of his physicist colleagues, have reported the development of the thinnest superconducting metal layer ever created, a superconducting sheet of lead only two atoms thick.

Remarkable Lifetime Results for EV Batteries

Cristi — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:30:05 +0000

Scientists from Southern California Edison (SCE) have developed an tested for two and a half years a lithium-ion battery sub-pack with very encouraging results. The battery tested survived 180,000miles with no significant deterioration.

SkySail Offers Big Boats Up to 30% Reduction in Fuel Consumption

Ovidiu — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:02:52 +0000

Cargo boats are among the most polluting things on Earth after cars. Most of them have no emission control and do not obey regulations put in place only a few years ago. Because their value is huge and their profits are enormous, only unobtrusive green thinking can change the way they travel and pollute the air.

Passivhaus: German-Style Superefficient and Superinsulated Home

Ovidiu — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:42:58 +0000

Passivhaus is a German concept of a home that needs very little heating or cooling, because it is so well insulated that it could basically be built on martian surface. There are more then 20,000 of these Passivhaus homes worldwide, many of them being buildings, kindergartens and office spaces.

$4,500 WindTronics Ultra-Efficient Low Speed Wind Turbine Available This Fall

Ovidiu — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:26:13 +0000

Using big things to create electricity is generally good - but not always. Big things tend to be inefficient, hard to handle and to install. Wind turbines are just the case of this example - if they are too big, they are too noisy and insensitive to slow winds - that leads to inefficiency in all related aspects.

Solar-Powered System Extracts Potable Water from Air

Mike — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:16:02 +0000

For many people from urban areas the access to potable water is very low. To combat the water crisis, scientists had to design systems that can help provide clean drinking water from something that is omnipresent.

Researchers to Develop Nanomotors Powered by Light

Mike — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:13:15 +0000

In short time, researchers at the University of Florida will develop nano-robots that can do everything from surgery to cleaning up toxic waste.

Solar-Powered Electric “Bluecar” from Pininfarina

Mike — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:08:13 +0000

From Spring 2009, French battery/supercapacitor manufacturer Bolloré and Italian car designer Pininfarina have finally reached the production line with their five-door hatchback electric Bluecar, and have started accepting online orders for it.

The Sustainer: Solution to Produce Electricity and Fuel in Remote Rural Areas

Mike — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:07:10 +0000

The Solarix company found a new solution to produce electricity and fuel in remote rural areas.

Lithium-Sulfur Batteries With 5-10 Times Increased Capacity

Cristi — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:15:22 +0000

Even if lithium-ion batteries are more known on the market and considered the most reliable, cheap and safe to use, lithium-sulfur batteries are catching up fast. There were several problems reported to the lithium-sulfur batteries but they will be solved in the close future as the capacity of the lithium-sulfur batteries is several times the one of the lithium-ion.

Chunlei Guo’s Metal Pushing Water Uphill Without Extra Energy

Ovidiu — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:34:32 +0000

Chunlei Guo, a researcher from the University of Rochester, along with a team of scientists, have created a slab of metal that can push water uphill, defying gravity, by using the capillary effect. It's the same effect that happens when you put a piece of fabric in a wine glass, for example, and hold it with your hand.

Innovative Biogas-Powered CHP Network to be Installed in German Town

Ovidiu — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:28:40 +0000

Lünen, a North Western German town is about to give an example of distributed recycled energy network, by installing a biogas plant to supply 30 to 40% of its energy needs (including heat).

IDT’s Solar Powered TFT Proves Itself Cheaper and Greener

Ovidiu — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 06:57:28 +0000

Integrated Digital Technologies Inc wants to start production of TFT displays that have solar cells embedded in them. The panels will be called "iScreen", i coming from Interactive.

NIF: Nuclear Fusion Research Facility Opened in California

Ovidiu — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:20:27 +0000

An attempt to recreate nuclear fusion, that takes place naturally inside stars' core, will be experimented at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), in California, that was inaugurated on Friday. The NIF is a 10-storey building with a surface as large as three football fields. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who cut the ribbon of the $3.5bn facility said it could "revolutionise our energy future".

ElectraWall Photovoltaic System Working Even at Night Time

Cristi — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:38:26 +0000

Your safety is the thing that counts most while being behind the wheel on the highway. And when the night falls the situation is getting critical. But Solaroad Technologies Group has thought of a system that can light the roads using the daylight energy.

Biodegradable UFO-like Plates for Cleaner Picnics

Cristi — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:02:08 +0000

UFO (Unidentified Feeding Object) plates are picnic plates which can be disposed after usage by launching them into the bushes, exactly like a frisbee. The most interesting thing about these plates is the fact that they can provide food for birds, squirrels or rodents.

European Supergrid Concept of Using Green Energy

Cristi — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:00:44 +0000

Even if it may sound like science fiction, the vision of the European Union is to be able to power the entire Continent with Green Energy: from solar panels to wind and wave turbines, from geothermal to hydroelectric power stations.

Concentrated Solar Power Could Lower Price of Electricity to €0.1/kW by 2020

Ovidiu — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:45:16 +0000

CSP stands for Concentrated Solar Power, and it really isn't a cutting edge technology. It uses solar power, focused through mirrors, to heat water in a central tower (like in the image on the left), create steam, and spin a turbine to generate electricity. It's so simple and effective that it can currently deliver electricity at €0.15 to €0.23 a kilowatt.

Nano-Sized Gold Electricity Generators Moving a Step Ahead

Ovidiu — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:13:14 +0000

Scientists, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, have researched the rotation of molecules on a fixed surface. They want to develop nanoscale-level rotor-based electricity generators and electric motors.

Future Th!nk Electric Car Will Feature Specially Designed Gearbox

Ovidiu — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:01:40 +0000

Th!nk, the electric car from Norway, has started a relationship with Oerlikon Graziano, who makes gearboxes. So, they designed a special gearbox, the only one at this time made specially for electric vehicles. With this gearbox, th!nk wil have the most efficient transmission system, would not waste energy on useless rpm, and run quietly.

Sharp’s 300mW Ultrathin Solar Panel Designed for Greener Gadgets

Ovidiu — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:41:00 +0000

Solar powered cell phones are more and more looked for in the past few months. Many cell phone manufacturers release solar powered versions of their gadgets. Reacting on this (or anticipating a bubble), Sharp made solar cells specially designed for use in cell phones.

Automatic Electric Car Battery Swapping System by Better Place

Ovidiu — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:23:46 +0000

I was talking in an earlier article about the possibility of electric car battery swapping systems installed on the roads, instead of gas stations. Mercedes did some testing back in the 70's, and concluded that a battery swapping system was both inefficient and dangerous if it would have been implemented with the technology existing at the time.

In My Prius: Funny Hip-Hop Video About Toyota’s Car

Ovidiu — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:56:45 +0000

It's time for some fun once in a while on The Green Optimistic. I wish I could do that a habit and, once a week, present some funny environmentally-related video. If there are lots of them, I'll even make a category.

Cooperation in the Auto Industry: GM & Toyota, VW & BYD

Ovidiu — Tue, 26 May 2009 10:37:15 +0000

The economical crisis is the best moment for auto industry's ruling players to fuse their forces and/or technologies, for increasing profit on everyone's side.

HCCI Engine: No-Spark Gasoline Engine as Efficient as Diesel

Ovidiu — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:43:59 +0000

If you ever had a diesel car, you know that it's more fuel efficient than the gasoline counterpart. That's because diesel engines use compression to ignite the fuel, and gasoline engines use a spark to do that. Practically, diesel engines could work without any electricity - at all.

Obama’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Budget Cut Doesn’t Stop Researchers

Ovidiu — Sun, 24 May 2009 07:31:22 +0000

Although Obama's recent budgeting won't be allowing more than 40% of what's been allowed until May 9 for fuel cell research, others don't find his decision to quit financing this technology as easy as he or his administration does. Furthermore, there are people and institutions actively searching for other investment resources to pursue the fuel cell business and dream.

Helmholtz Principle-Based Innovation Reduces Aircraft Consumption by 20%

Ovidiu — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:31:24 +0000

Scientists discovered a new method to reduce an airliner's consumption and fuel costs by redirecting the air to waggle sideways around the wings. They are doing this with tiny air powered jets, making the air flow back and forth over the wing.

SolarWindow Empowers Your Windows to Produce Electricity

Ovidiu — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:10:43 +0000

New Energy Technologies Inc developed an organic solar array that is both transparent and produces electricity. They made use of conductive polymers, a thousand times thinner than human hair, assembled them together, and - voilà! Here's a working solar cell less then 1/4 the size of a grain of rice, producing electricity just like its big silicon brother, only cheaper.

Wind-It: Electrical Towers Transformed into Wind Turbines

Ovidiu — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:02:54 +0000

This project aims to adapt the current infrastructure of electrical high voltage towers into electricity generating towers. Because they are so tall and well grounded, electrical towers are best for supporting wind turbines (of course, adapted to the towers' shape).

WindCube: 60kW Small, Stackable Wind Turbines

Ovidiu — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:02:09 +0000

The device below is known as WindCube, and is developed by Green Energy Technologies. It incorporates a fan and a wind concentrator system, which directs the wind at a higher speed though the fan, producing eight times more electricity than if it wasn't used.

Innovative Lithium-Air Batteries (STAIR) Improve Lifetime Ten Fold

Ovidiu — Tue, 19 May 2009 09:04:58 +0000

Scientists from the University of St. Andrews, partnering with Strathclyde and Newcastle have discovered a method of making clean batteries that also have a chemical reaction, but do not carry a chemical component used in batteries today. Instead, they use a reaction with the oxygen drawn from the air to generate electricity.

Space-Based Solar Power Project Not so Cool

Ovidiu — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:42:32 +0000

In our thirst for energy we gladly accept anything not done before, or old methods improved to work with new technologies. Still, we have to take into account all the possibilities these new ways of generating energy open for us, or close for other species or for our entire planet's ecosystem.

Ultra-Dense Deuterium Could Make Nuclear Fusion Happen

Ovidiu — Sat, 16 May 2009 12:42:14 +0000

...what if I told you scientists are about to create a material denser than the Sun's core? The material is called "ultra-dense deuterium", and a cube with 10 cm sides made of it would weigh no less than one hundred and thirty (130) tons.

Carbon Nanotubes Making Printable Supercapacitors Possible

Ovidiu — Wed, 13 May 2009 07:06:49 +0000

Printed solar panels are now a reality due to special dyes. But who ever thought of printed batteries? Research in the field of supercapacitors has brought this innovation into question, and, with the help of the almighty carbon nanotubes, printable supercapacitors have now been realized. They perform just as well as other supercapacitors, but excel in lightness and flexibility.

Norway Inaugurates Hydrogen Highway, Obama Quits the Plan

Ovidiu — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:10:56 +0000

I was glad when I read an article last night describing how Norway opened up a 560 km "hydrogen highway", and inaugurated it with a hydrogen car rally between Oslo and a North Sea oil hub, Stavanger. The cars were regular Ford Focuses, Priuses, and other well-known, converted either into burning hydrogen directly in their classic internal combustion engine, or using fuel cells to convert hydrogen to electricity (probably the case of the Prius).

Romanian TV Station Reports Invention of Vinegar Powered Car

Ovidiu — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:49:25 +0000

I have heard about cars running on electricity, on biofuels, and other kinky stuff, but this one surpasses them all. Two brothers, Petru and Gheorghe Bordeianu, from Bacau, Romania, have invented an engine that runs totally on a combination of vinegar, water and a certain "soft drink".

Biofuels Run Your Car 81% Farther If Converted to Electricity

Ovidiu — Sun, 10 May 2009 06:08:24 +0000

I know my opinion doesn't matter to those who matter, but it rather matters to me and probably to you, my reader. Since I saw what electricity could mean to the car industry and how it can revolutionize the way and what cars consume energy, I totally changed my mind about biofuels and other burnable liquids or solids. They are here, are working, but not for long - at least I hope so.

Ultracapacitors Made of Bulk Glass Tripled Their Storage Capacity

Ovidiu — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:48:39 +0000

I guess I don't have to emphasize the importance of batteries in an electric car economy of the future. I also don't have to tell anyone that many manufacturers pursue making ultracapacitors for their ability to quickly charge, discharge, and store a huge amount of energy - the perfect combination for an on-the-fly highway recharging.

Melting Plastics in Biodiesel Cleaner Than Recycling Them?

Ovidiu — Wed, 06 May 2009 06:46:45 +0000

We are used to throwing our garbage in the bin, dispose it, and then forget it (and pay the monthly garbage collecting tax). What we often hear is that piles of garbage have saturated square kilometers in big cities, and that by making us comfortable, the garbage company (and, indirectly, us) pollutes the soil and the environment on a very large scale.

Plastic Solar Cells Going to Make Their Market Breakthrough

Cristi — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:41:08 +0000

Even though plastic solar cells are cheaper to produce and they have some advantages like lightweight and flexibility , they still miss one important thing: the efficiency. Researchers are optimist that in the years to come, the polymer solar cells will be able to compete from the efficiency point of view with the silicon solar cells as well taking into account the fact that plastic solar cell have improved their efficiency each year.

ITER: International Nuclear Fusion Reactor 40 Years from Now

Ovidiu — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:34:22 +0000

The world's most expensive and exotic experiment was thought to be CERN. Few people know that the EU, US, China, and Japan have invested billions of dollars to construct the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) that would use nuclear fusion instead of fission, like all nuclear power plants do today.

Hitachi Announcing 4.5kW Car Li-Ion Battery Soon on Market

Ovidiu — Sun, 03 May 2009 09:27:00 +0000

Although it has many opponents even among green technology sustainers, the good-old battery still evolves to help us have those all-electric vehicles beneath us, and make us drive cleaner and faster than ever.

New Type of Ultrathin and Flexible Solar Cells Discovered

Ovidiu — Sun, 03 May 2009 09:13:26 +0000

Silicon photovoltaic cells are preferred in today's market conditions and technological implementations because they are cheap, silicon is abundant and the ongoing research has made them more and more efficient. Still, manufacturing the PV cells is very energy consuming, and they are very fragile and prone to breaking in the most mildly hostile situations (hailstorms).

Wind Energizer: 150% Power Boost by Simple Wind Turbine Addon

Ovidiu — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:57:49 +0000

Until now, in order to make more powerful wind turbines, you had to make longer blades, so they could capture more incoming air and transform it into mechanical work. Leviathan Energy, led by dr. Daniel Farb, has refreshed this approach towards increased efficiency not by increasing the blades, but by making the wind hit them differently.

Old Nuclear Submarines Could Generate Clean Hydrogen

Ovidiu — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:10:59 +0000

Who said that the nuclear age is over is not quite right. Nuclear weapons exist all over the world since WW2, and they are being stored in all kinds of places, including submarines. These nuclear supplies could give us extra energy at a price similar to oil, if not better.

Waterproof Solar Powered Cell Phone by KDDI and Sharp

Cristi — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:42:24 +0000

The waterproof solar cell phone will be sold starting with June by Japan's No.2 wireless provider, KDDI Corp. The gadget had been developed by Sharp Corp and promises carbon dioxide reduction by 80% charging from sunlight.

The “Hydrogen Effect” Making 100% Safe Nuclear Dump Sites

Ovidiu — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:50:53 +0000

Although they provide us with clean electricity, nuclear plants are often criticized, among others, for their residues after the primary radioactive material is spent. Normally, they are buried in depleted uranium mines, and thus their impact is minimized, but there are lots of situations when things could get dangerous as the radioactive material could infiltrate deep inside the earth, and pollute the underground springs.

Unexpected Discovery Brings Three Times More Solar Power

Ovidiu — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:52:28 +0000

Sometimes, what we get is not what we expect - at all. For example, a team of scientists from Northeastern University and from NIST discovered by mistake how to produce more solar power by using the residue of a process used to build arrays of titania nanotubes. Now, physorg.com interprets this invention through the perspective of better hydrogen production, but improving the solar power capturing ability gives a lot more useful applications than only that of hydrogen production.

Sunengy’s Liquid Solar Arrays: Waterborne Cheap Electricity

Ovidiu — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:22:43 +0000

The transition to a fully-renewable global energetic system has to be done in small but sure steps. New inventions pave the way towards sustainable technologies, and their experimentation on small and medium scale improves their survival chances and lowers their implementation price.

Turning CO2 into Methanol Achieved Through an Eco-Friendly Process

Ovidiu — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:44:35 +0000

If we could somehow invent a reliable technology that could "eat out" all the excess CO2 from the atmosphere in a large scale, we could turn back to where we started from a hundred years ago, reducing global warming and the change of climate.

ZenithSolar Manufactures 75% Efficient Hybrid Solar Panels

Ovidiu — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:34:43 +0000

The run after the new gold, the unlimited and cheap energy, is being pursued all over the world, not only in the US. There are states, like Israel, where solar power has been harnessed for decades in the form of hot water for its inhabitants. All those solar water heaters have been build by economical needs. In fact, only economical needs can stimulate the world to such an extent that it develops new technologies.

DIY: How to Make a Cheap Solar Cell from Tea and Donuts

Ovidiu — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:22:59 +0000

Discover how these guys succeeded extracting TiO2 from a donut and make a solar cell out of it! No kidding!

Corn Ethanol Consuming Three Times More Water Than We Thought

Ovidiu — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:55:58 +0000

More and more research studies show the fact that biofuels, ethanol, and other zero-carbon burning fuels do more damage than they do good in the long run. According to a recent study, it looks like ethanol, the petrol companies' saving field, consumes up to three times more water than it was previously thought, as MIT's Technology Review states.

PG&E to Build Space-Based Solar Power Plant by 2016

Mike — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:55:00 +0000

A space-based solar electricity program could soon power the Californians' homes. The project belongs to the state's biggest energy company, PG&E, and it aims to generate 200 megawatts in the next 15 years.

Babcock Ranch: Florida’s First Fully Solar Powered City

Mike — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:24:57 +0000

The world's largest solar plant will be built in Florida. The construction will begin in June of the next year. The entire project will cost approximately two billion dollars.

Fast Charging Hydrogen Storage Thanks to Potassium

Ovidiu — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:56:03 +0000

As I have said it many times before, inventions in the field of hydrogen storage are most desired, because hydrogen can be created easily from solar power, and offers nothing but water at the other end of the equation.

Very Efficient and Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Cristi — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:37:08 +0000

Most of us still use today the traditional incandescent light bulbs to light our homes. But as the traditional light bulbs have a high energy consumption, most turn nowadays to compact fluorescent light bulbs(CFLs).

High Efficiency/Low Temperature Geothermal System Implemented in Utah

Ovidiu — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:16:32 +0000

Geothermal energy is considered to be the ultimate energy source in terms of reliability. Since it doesn't depend on day or night, or other external factor, it is practically undisturbable and has a huge potential.

DIY: Home Built Steam Powered iPod Charger

Ovidiu — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:49:05 +0000

What can you do with a steam powered engine, a LEGO toy kit, some wood sticks and a USB cable?

Nanotube-Based Solar Powered Boat Built by Berkeley Researchers

Ovidiu — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:36:29 +0000

There have already been successful experiments involving solar powered boats, and there have already been people sailing them in the last ten years. Still, all of them have something in common: they use photovoltaic cells as an intermediate between the sunlight the mechanical work.

Solar Cooking “Kyoto Box” Reduces Pollution and Deforestation

Cristi — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:30:51 +0000

Jon Boehmer, a Norwegian based in Kenya, developed a solar powered cooker that can reduce greenhouse gases at a large scale. The cardbox named the "Kyoto Box", costs 5 Euro($ 6,60) to make, and is designed for the usage of 3 billion people that use firewood as a heating source for cooking.

Samsung’s 1800W Methanol Fuel Cell Released for Army Use

Ovidiu — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:44:30 +0000

It seems natural that military applications take over the new technology. It seems natural that people use their best to defeat others, instead of helping their civilians.

Pedal-Powered Blender: Saving The World One Carrot at a Time

Ovidiu — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:37:21 +0000

After so much seriousness, let's try and take a look at something else, a new invention that will surely change the way we live, think, and act during our irresponsible ride to the grocery store.

Tiny Dead Marine Cells Helping Us Create Better Solar Cells

Ovidiu — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:21:01 +0000

Using microscopic creatures as our friends is not a new idea, not it has been used recently. Nowadays, pushed by our green energy needs, we have to find solutions by using and probably killing some of our little friends to make us energy. This phrase sounded like the madhouse, now let's get to the real subject.

New Method for Splitting Water Passively with Heat and Light

Ovidiu — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:47:44 +0000

Prof. David Milstein, and his colleagues from the Weizmann Institute, the Organic Chemistry Department, demonstrated a new way of generating hydrogen and oxygen, through a series of steps that involve applying heat, light, and a special catalyst.

Electric Cars Coming from China

Florin — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:40:50 +0000

As many producers announce their hybrid or electric cars, it's a more obvious sign that the future is for electric cars. There is a competition to be the first one to produce electric cars and have them on the road. China is trying to get on the track for this and they will try to produce 500 000 electric cars in the next two years. It might not sound much, but compared to the 2100 produced last year, it's a great evolution.

World’s First Single-Axis Solar Tracking System

Mike — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:37:10 +0000

The officials at California’s South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) and solar energy experts at Denver-based Conergy Americas have developed the world’s first single-axis solar tracking system which is stated to generate about 419kW of electricity. The utility will save the irrigation district nearly $400,000 a year in utility costs. The new project known as the [...]

10% of Scotland’s Biofuel to be Algae-based by 2020

Cristi — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:13:54 +0000

Last week Scotland's Energy Minister launched the Biomara research project to study the feasibility of microalgae and seaweed usage as alternative energy in the production of biofuels. This project aligns with the requests of having at least 10% of clean transport energy by 2020. The project is about $8 million (€6 million) worth.

Flywheel Energy Storage: a Much Greener, 90% Efficient Battery

Ovidiu — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:25:32 +0000

We have been so focused on chemical storage systems lately, that some us forget other old, seemingly more efficient, mechanical batteries. Such a battery is the flywheel. Several successful experiments have been carried out in the last 50 years, and the flywheel's applications ranged from acting as a UPS for a hospital to putting an entire train to movement and then to cruise speed, only by its power.

New Method for Extracting Hydrogen from Green Algae

Cristi — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:24:25 +0000

Analyzing a single-celled green alga, researchers have found a fermentation process which was not known before that can revolution hydrogen production. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a soil or fresh water single-celled alga, produces its own energy by fermentation when it has no source of oxygen.

Japanese Optical Fiber Solar Cell Harvesting Infrared

Ovidiu — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:01:34 +0000

New types of solar cells emerge every month, but this particular kind has caught my attention, not due to its efficiency (approx 1%), but to the idea that conceived it.

The 5-minutes Rechargeable Hydrogen Tank Invented

Ovidiu — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:10:29 +0000

Obama's plans for a prosperous hydrogen economy cannot come alive if we don't find the proper storage for the hydrogen, as an energy carrier. The scientific community, funded by their governments and/or private investors, are looking for several solutions to this issue.

Blood-Fed Yeast Batteries Could Greenly Power Pacemakers

Ovidiu — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:41:10 +0000

As if it wasn't enough for MIT's virus batteries, scientists from the University of British Columbia have now devised a fuel cell prototype able to feed itself from the sugar in the blood stream.The tricky part of the invention is that the fuel cell is made of nothing else but a type of bacteria, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, that lives in yeast.

MIT Seeks Federal Funds for Developing Possibly Hazardous Virus Battery

Ovidiu — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:12:07 +0000

Viruses seemed like a frightened enemy that kept standing in our way for the past... million years. Although they have their qualification and role in the ecosystem, we seem to hate viruses and only associate them will our colds, hepatitis, and other illnesses. Not for a moment we could think of them as of a power source.

Experiment Shows Desalination Plants Could Produce Hydrogen

Ovidiu — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:41:25 +0000

As the world's potable water resources thin each year, scientists strive to decypher ways to use the immense amounts of water that abound the oceans and seas, and to make them drinkable. All that desalination process consumes energy resources, and that makes water more expensive to produce and drink in some parts of the world.