The Green Optimistic

CUESS: 3 Times Cheaper, 4 Times More Efficient Concentrated Photovoltaic/Thermal Array

Mircea — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:48:08 +0000

Using cheaper materials and latest technology scientists have managed to create a new type of concentrating array, three times cheaper and four times more efficient than any other solar cells. Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology have explained why this technology is so efficient by listing some key components and explaining how they work.

Transonic Combustion’s New Ultra-Efficient Engine Gets Up to 98 MPG

Cristi — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:51:56 +0000

A California-based company called Transonic Combustion has recently developed a very efficient fuel-injection system that can put on hold the production of expensive gas-electric hybrids. With a cruising speed of 50 miles per hour, the test car was able to get 98 miles per gallon.

Lithium Sulfur Experimental Batteries Provide 4 Times Capacity of Li-Ion

Ovidiu — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 07:33:44 +0000

Based on recent discoveries by University of Waterloo University scientists from Ontario, a team of Stanford researchers developed an electrode that can provide more energy density in lithium-sulfur batteries. Their experiments promise an improvement of 4 times the capacity of a standard lithium-ion battery, if current issues are overcame.

New Cobalt-Based Catalyst Helps Scientists Produce Hydrogen From Water and Sun

Ovidiu — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 07:25:05 +0000

Water oxidation is an essential component for generating hydrogen from water by only using sunlight. Emory University researchers, led by Craig Hill, discovered the most powerful homogeneous catalyst known for oxidizing water, which could lead to successfully replicating the way photosynthesis works, but much more efficiently and controllable.

Aquafairy’s New Range of Cheap Fuel Cells for Portable Electronic Devices

Mike — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:20:52 +0000

Today, the commercially available devices powered by fuel cells are still pretty pricey. But Kyoto-based Aquafairy has presented a new range of affordable fuel cells for portable electronic devices.

Europe’s Biggest Solar Power Plant to Open in Italy This Year

Mike — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:29:05 +0000

Europe's largest solar plant (an area as large as 120 football pitches) will go online in Italy later this year. Located in northeastern Italy, in the province of Rovigo, the plant will generate 72 megawatts and will take up 850,000 square metres.

New Sources of Combustible Ice Could Power China for 90 Years

Mike — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:27:13 +0000

China has recently discovered major deposits of combustible ice on the tundra of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. According to the researchers, this new source of low-emission fuel could power China for 90 years.

Colorado Company Uses Concentrated Solar Power to Transform Biomass into Gasoline

Ovidiu — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:09:20 +0000

Sundrop Fuels, a Louisville, CO, -based company has developed a method of using concentrated solar power to heat the biomass to 1200 or 1300 ºC, and even produce syngas more efficiently than the standard technology, which uses only 30 to 35 percent of the biomass.

Deutsche Bank Estimates EV Batteries Price Will Drop 50% In Next Decade

Ovidiu — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:05:51 +0000

People tend to think electric cars will be more expensive and unaffordable than their petrol/diesel relatives. Furthermore, people usually expect high maintenance costs, because of the batteries.

IBM and Stanford Discover Chemical Recycling of PETs at Low Temperatures

Ovidiu — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:18:58 +0000

Usually, plastic bottles, (aka PETs) are recycled by mechanical technologies, and they get several other uses afterwards: carpets, sweaters, etc. They don't ever return to their original water bottle use.It is possible to chemically recycle PETs, but the method has been so far very expensive and the industry doesn't want that option.

OLEV: The First Wirelessly-Powered EV Made in South Korea

Ovidiu — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:42:46 +0000

The world's first commercial wireless EV has been introduced on Tuesday in South Korea at a theme park in Seoul. It's called the "On-Line Electric Vehicle" (OLEV), and it gets its energy from cables underneath the surface of the road. The car doesn't make any contact with the road, all the energy is transferred by magnetic induction.

How to Build a Small-Scale Hydroelectric Generator

Mircea — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:13:38 +0000

If you want to produce electricity using a river near your home, the best way you can do it is to build a small-scale hydroelectric generator. Often called as a low-impact hydro, micro-hydro or run-of-stream hydro generator, this system is not very hard to build.

Pea Plants Providing Inspiration for Artificial Solar Cells

Ovidiu — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:02:52 +0000

Trying to imitate the plants and the way they produce energy when hit by light, Prof. Nathan Nelson of Tel Aviv University's Department of Biochemistry discovered a complex membrane protein and founded a new model for developing "green energy", having this membrane at its core.

1998 Volkswagen Scirocco Powered by Coffee Granules

Mike — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:55:00 +0000

Today, the auto field is dominated by vehicles running on electricity or other alternative sources of energy but there is a team from the BBC1 science program “Bang Goes the Theory” who believe that coffee too is a good fuel. They have converted a 1998 Volkswagen Scirocco to run coffee granules, reaching a top speed of 60mph.

Thermopower Waves: MIT’s Invention That Could Change Batteries and Devices Forever

Ovidiu — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:10:02 +0000

Thermopower waves are a phenomenon that happens when powerful waves of energy shoot through carbon nanotube wires, creating electricity. The researchers from MIT are responsible for this discovery, thus opening a new area of rare energy research.

New Kind of Magnetic Solder Eliminates Toxic Lead

Mike — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:12:56 +0000

A group of scientists at the Yale University have created a new type of magnetic, lead-free solder that could be used to manufacture electronics more efficiently and cheaply.

Arctic Emissions of Methane Could Trigger Abrupt Climate Warming

Mircea — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:52:29 +0000

Researchers concluded that the release of just a fraction of the methane held in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf sediments could lead to a sudden warming of the climate.

China’s Biggest Renewable Energy Project to be Launched Soon

Mike — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:46:15 +0000

China is planning to reduce its carbon footprint by 40-45% from the 2005 level and until 2020 to generate 15% of its electricity from low-carbon technologies. According to Zhang Guobao, head of the National Energy Administration, a national program consisting of billions of dollars of investments in solar, wind and nuclear energy would be launched very soon.

Small Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Show Potential in Central and Eastern Europe

Cristi — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:19:10 +0000

Nobody would have ever though that Central and Eastern Europe would have the technology or financial resources to build a super car or a zero emission vehicle. This is why we are now astonished as the Hungarian company called Antro developed a hybrid car that is also able to run on solar power.

Artificial Photosynthesis Could Power Homes on a Bottle of Water

Mike — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:25:40 +0000

MIT chemist Dan Nocera claims that with just one bottle of drinking water and four hours of sunlight, he can generate 30 KWh of electric energy, being enough to power an entire home. This process consist in a a cobalt-based catalyst that uses solar energy to split water and produce hydrogen.

Saw-Free Manufacturing Process Makes Solar Cells 80% Cheaper

Ovidiu — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 10:22:15 +0000

1366 Technologies, a company based in Lexington, MA, shows how a new manufacturing process can make silicon solar cells 80 percent cheaper. The company dreams that within 10 years they will be able to improve the technology so as the solar cells built by them to compete with coal in price.

Javad Rafiee Inventing The Most Efficient Graphene-Based Hydrogen Storage

Ovidiu — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:55:20 +0000

Javad Rafiee, a doctoral student in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developed a new method of ultra-efficient hydrogen storage based on graphene.

Small Japanese Company Selling Hand-Built, Home-Made Electric Cars

Mike — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:14:34 +0000

While giant auto manufacturers spend millions to build electric vehicles, a Japanese family decided to open a family-run business in their garage-workshop and to build eco-friendly electric cars by hand.

Ford Estimating 25% of Their Fleet to be Electric or Hybrid by 2020

Cristi — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:52:42 +0000

Ford recently disclosed their long term plan coming to align with governmental laws related with fuel efficiency: by 2020, at least 25% of Ford's new cars will be either electric or hybrid vehicles. In North America, 7 of 10 vehicles will be gasoline-electric hybrids, such as the current Fusion hybrid version.

Indian Government Proposed a Coal Tax for Using in Renewable Energy Projects

Mike — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:52:17 +0000

This tax would produce an annual revenue of around $600 million. According to the National Clean Energy Fund, Mukherjee, the coal is the "mainstay of India's energy sector", being 75% of the country's power generation.

Scientists Extracting Biofuels From Waste Tea Leaves

Mircea — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:06:35 +0000

Pakistani scientists have begun to think seriously about converting waste tea leaves into biofuels. They found a way to produce biodiesel from used tea leaves, using a nanocatalyst that is able to accelerate chemical reactions.

ComEd’s New Solar Energy Project for Chicago Homes Proposes Smarter Grid

Mike — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:02:41 +0000

ComEd, a Chicago-based utility company has come up with a new solar energy pilot that will outfit about 100 Chicago-area homes with solar panels and “at least 50 of those with battery backup, ’smart’ meters, net metering and a grid-tied status that enables them to send unused electric energy from their solar energy systems back to the grid.”

Bloom Energy Releases 100 KW Fuel Cell Module Working on Various Fuel Types

Cristi — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:51:37 +0000

Bloom Energy has just brought to the market a new fuel cell system that is able to run on various fuels. While working on natural gas, it can decrease the CO2 emissions by half compared to conventional power sources.

France’s Largest Photovoltaic Solar Power Plant to be Built In Abandoned NATO Site

Mike — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:20:33 +0000

The world's largest photovoltaic solar power plant will be built by the French energy giant EDF. The company hopes to open the plant by 2012, being located at an abandoned NATO air base (415 hectare site in Toul-Rosieres, near the eastern city of Metz).

Pentadyne Seeks Funding for Using Flywheels in Railway System to Save Power

Ovidiu — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:54:58 +0000

Pentadyne Power, based in Los Angeles, is seeking $15 million in funding to launch a flywheel energy storage technology in electrified railroads, to save the energy consumed when the train leaves the station.

New Chemical Process Converts Cellulose from Agricultural Wastes Into Jet Fuel

Mircea — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:13:05 +0000

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have managed to produce jet fuel and gasoline by processing cellulose from agricultural waste with a new chemical method.

Google Improving Mirror Technology For Making Solar Concentrators 2x Cheaper

Ovidiu — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:31:15 +0000

Besides its search engine activities, Google focused on producing alternative energy technologies, or improving the existing ones. So is the case now, when Google developed a new mirror technology that could help solar companies like eSolar or BrightSource make cheaper and better solar thermal plants.

BPP Backpack Hydroelectric Generator Provides Up to 500W of Mobile Power

Mike — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:11:43 +0000

The Bourne Energy company, located in California, has developed a human-portable hydroelectric generator that produces up to 500W of renewable energy and weighs about 30 pounds. The Backpack Power Plant (BPP) can generate clean energy from any stream deeper than 4 feet.

European Countries To Hit Renewable Energy Targets by 2020

Mike — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:23:11 +0000

The analysis, which assessed all forms of renewable energy, found that while 13 of the 27 European Union (EU) countries are going to meet their targets for renewable energy capacity, 8 are set to exceed it and the remaining 6 are expected to fall short.

Nanotube Ink-Treated Office Paper Could Make Batteries More Potent

Ovidiu — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:47:23 +0000

Yi Cui, a researcher from Stanford and his team have succeeded making office paper into an electrode by dipping it into nanotube ink. The resulted dipped paper becomes a strong, flexible and highly conductive material that could be incorporated into lightweight batteries or serving as an electrode in high-energy ultracapacitors. The nanotube-treated paper can store much more energy than classic batteries.

MIESC’s Printable Battery at International Rechargeable Battery Expo

Ovidiu — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:20:31 +0000

Printable batteries have long been sought after, but only recently scientists have been able to figure out a way to make them in a viable technological process. Mie Industry Enterprise Support Center (MIESC) has built a prototype lithium storage battery in the form of a sheet, by using only printing technology.

PlanetSolar: The World’s Biggest Solar-Powered Multi-Hull Vessel Released

Mike — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:12:57 +0000

The world's biggest vessel powered entirely by solar energy has been unveiled in Germany. Measuring about 31m in length, the new catamaran called PlanetSolar is able to achieve a top speed of about 25 km/h (15 knots) and can carry 50 people.

Bacteria Colony Reacts with Seawater and Mud to Produce Electricity

Mike — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:30:13 +0000

Until now, scientists haven’t been able to provide the reasons of just how bacteria generate electric networks that serve as long distance communication systems. They have known just that it can produce electric energy when mixed with seawater and mud, leading to the development of microbial fuel cells.

Hertz Car Rental Service Using Electric Nissan LEAF in Their Future Offer

Ovidiu — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:23:22 +0000

Hertz, a worldwide car hire company, plans to buy electric cars and make them available for renting in Europe and the U.S. within the next two years. Teaming up with Nissan, they will start their electric car hire service with LEAF, Nissan's first electric car available to the public.

IBM’s Efficient Thin Film Solar Cell Made of Cheap Materials

Cristi — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:37:54 +0000

They managed to increase the efficiency with almost 40% of their solar cells, from 6,7 percent to 9,6 percent. To reduce even more the costs, these solar cells are build with an inexpensive ink-based process.

New Flexible Silicon Solar Cells Use 99 % Less Material With Same Efficiency

Ovidiu — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:07:13 +0000

CalTech researchers discovered a new way to make silicon solar cells that not only use 1 percent of the material needed to make conventional cells, but which are also thin and flexible, making them suitable for a much larger palette of uses in all kinds of applications. And let's not mention the fact that the price will be considerably lower, respectively.

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid Using 160hp Flywheel for Its Electric Motors

Ovidiu — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:29:03 +0000

Porsche has already been recognized all over the world as building quality performance cars, despite their "heavy" price and big engines. It looks like now Porsche is trying to green itself out and use an innovative hybrid technology based on a flywheel, installed in a racing car.

DNA-Like Metal Organic Frameworks to Store Carbon Dioxide Efficiently

Ovidiu — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:21:02 +0000

UCLA scientists, led by professor Omar M. Yaghi have created three-dimensional, synthetic DNA-like crystals which are capable of storing carbon dioxide: We have taken organic and inorganic units and combined them into a synthetic crystal which codes information in a DNA-like manner.

Semprius’s Micrometric Solar Cells Efficient in Concentrated Photovoltaic Systems

Ovidiu — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:56:40 +0000

Concentrated photovoltaic systems are usually more effective than regular, flat ones, because a lens focuses the sunlight on a smaller surface of some efficient and more expensive solar cells 500 times stronger than the cells would receive in regular operation. Heat is mostly a problem with concentrated PV systems, since it has to be efficiently dissipated through complex and expensive cooling technique.

Hell’s Gate in Turkmenistan: Burning Precious Energy for Nothing Since 1971

Ovidiu — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:57:18 +0000

This hole (initially a gas-filled cave) has been named "Hell's Gate", for obvious reasons. It was discovered when some geologists have been searching for natural gas, in Turkmenistan's Karakum desert, in Darvasa. The ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a large hole with a diameter of about 50-100 meters.

World’s Smallest Solar Powered Sensor Invented by University of Michigan Researchers

Ovidiu — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:36:45 +0000

University of Michigan engineers developed the smallest solar powered sensor system, having only 9 cubic millimeters, that can harvest energy from ambient light to operate.

Scientists Develop a Quantum-Dot Process to Split Water and Generate Hydrogen

Cristi — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:16:57 +0000

Fuel cells can be used in various applications such as spacecraft, remote weather stations, large parks, rural locations, military applications and automotive industry. Fuel cells have hydrogen as the base element for their power.

Utah-Based Company Digging Underground Compressed Air Batteries

Ovidiu — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:09:51 +0000

Underground caverns may have never been seen as energy containers, but a Utah-based private equity group promises to use them filled with compressed air to generate electricity the classic way - by spinning a turbine.

Composite Nanomaterial Could Transform The Car’s Body Into a Battery

Ovidiu — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:54:30 +0000

The interesting fact is that the material resembles a fabric, and can be shaped into different objects, so maybe in the future mobile phone users won't have to have a battery in their cellphone, just because its case will do the job.

Salicornia Biofuel for Jet Engines Could Compete With Petrol Fuels and Emit Zero CO2

Ovidiu — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:06:58 +0000

Salicornia is an alga that grows in salty waters and whose seeds can produce biofuels abundantly. Masdar Institute researchers, along with several companies like Boeing, Etihad Airways, and UOP Honeywell devised a method of growing salicornia for getting biofuels out of it and keeping the CO2 balance in proper equilibrium.

EMC Launches Affordable Electric Vehicle Based on Dacia Logan

Ovidiu — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:15:00 +0000

The world's first electric Pick-up, EMC (Electric Motor Cars), built on a Dacia Logan platform, brought to the U.S. by Envision Motor Co., has been presented by Des Moines Motors, an ex-Chrysler dealer.

Self-Powered Solar Circuit Could Help Computing Become Greener and Faster

Mike — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:10:54 +0000

A team of scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have developed the world’s first circuit powered by solar energy that can power itself, as long as it's left in a beam of sunshine. It could eventually power a new line of consumer devices or even model the human brain.

Japanese Thermoelectric Modules Aim Reaching Record of 11% Efficiency

Ovidiu — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:17:52 +0000

A new test will be performed by Showa Denko on Feb. 15, 2010. The thermoelectric device is designed to be attached to the exhaust pipe of a car and supply electricity to the car's air conditioner, thus improving the fuel mileage.

Astounding Discovery: Marine Algae Using Quantum Mechanics Principles for Light Harvesting

Ovidiu — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:34:42 +0000

Professor Greg Scholes, the lead author of the study published recently in Nature, says: "There's been a lot of excitement and speculation that nature may be using quantum mechanical practices. Our latest experiments show that normally functioning biological systems have the capacity to use quantum mechanics in order to optimize a process as essential to their survival as photosynthesis."

Sixtron’s Antireflective Coatings Solve Safety and Efficiency Issues in Solar Cell Technology

Ovidiu — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:50:37 +0000

Up to now, the most used antireflective coating method has been the vapor deposition of a silicon nitride film by using a highly-flamable silane gas, which can ignite when exposed to air. Transporting, storing, ventilating silane gas and other safety-keeping operation make the process very expensive.

Electric Field Induced Hydrogen Storage: A New Step Forward

Ovidiu — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:10:59 +0000

Scientists from Virginia Commonwealth University, Peking University in Beijing and the Chinese Academy of Science in Shanghai made a discovery that could help other researchers build hydrogen containers that could make the gas compete with petrol-based fuels in terms of energy density and availability.

Newly Discovered TiO2-Coated Nanotubes Could Build Better Li-Ion Battery Electrodes

Ovidiu — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:29:28 +0000

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) by itself makes up a very low performance electrode, because the electrons move very slowly through it (can take years until you could fill a millimiter-thick TiO2 piece). When you reduce its thickness, though, TiO2 acts like a very good electrode.

Levitating Magnet: MIT’s New Approach to Nuclear Fusion

Ovidiu — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:19:48 +0000

University of Columbia researchers, along with their colleagues from MIT, have some results in reproducing the Earth's magnetic fields for developing nuclear power plants based on nuclear fusion - the ultimate dream of scientists that uses the same principle that the Sun operates on.

SOccket – A Soccer Ball That Generates and Stores Renewable Energy

Mike — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:07:14 +0000

A group of students at the Harvard University have come up with an ingenious idea that could change the lives of African people. They have developed an energy harvesting soccer ball called sOccket that is able to produce electric energy when being kicked around.

Ene Pocket: A Radio-Controlled Toy Car Fueled by Sugar

Mike — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:25:16 +0000

Takara Tomy is a Japanese toy maker that recently developed a radio-controlled toy car called "Ene Pocket". The thing is equipped with a Sony bio-battery fueled by sugars like those in sodas and fruit drinks.

New Piezoelectric Flexible Nanoribbons Prove 80% Efficient Conversion

Ovidiu — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:32:00 +0000

Pacemaker owners all over the world and other people in need of a reliable, small current source will surely be glad when they'll hear that Princeton University scientists have developed an ultra-efficient (80%) piezoelectric system, able to transform mechanical work into electricity.

USAF Solar Project to Generate up to 500MW of Green Electricity

Mike — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:17:10 +0000

The partnership that took place a few days ago between United States Air Force and Fotowatio Renewable Ventures of San Francisco could lead to the construction of United State's largest solar project that will be able to produce 500MW of green electricity.

Highly Mismatched Alloys – Solution for Really Efficient Thermoelectrics

Ovidiu — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:24:04 +0000

Thermoelectric devices convert heat into electricity, and are of great use in recovering wasted heat from thermal engines and transforming it into electricity, thus increasing the engine's overall efficiency, mostly when used in hybrid cars, who have high capacity onboard batteries.

Algae Biofuel Production Emits More CO2 Than Algae Absorb, Says Study

Ovidiu — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:55:09 +0000

Biofuels do their job as a carbon-saver only if they swallow more carbon than they emit. Choosing biofuels with a positive carbon output looks to me like wasted money.

Scientists Hack Tobacco Plants to Grow Synthetic Photovoltaic Cells

Mike — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:36:03 +0000

A group of scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a way to produce artificial photovoltaic and photochemical cells by infecting the tobacco plants with a genetically engineered virus. Unlike traditional methods of making solar cells, this new technique is more environmentally friendly (because the cells are biodegradable) and cheap.

Weidlinger’s Hybrid Roof Solar Panels Delivering Both Electricity and Heat

Ovidiu — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:59:58 +0000

Usually, heat and light cannot be separated, because heat is a also a form of energy that we can't ignore. Weidlinger Associates, a NY-based company, received a $150,000 grant this week to develop better, more durable hybrid solar roof panels.

Lowering Antarctic Ozone Layer Hole Could Increase Melting of Glaciers

Ovidiu — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:34:50 +0000

The much-feared ozone layer hole over the Antarctic is slowly but steadily closing, but scientists realized that while it had been open, it kept the carbon-induced heat from melting the Antarctic glaciers.

A New $6 Billion Renewable Power Plant Complex Built by Samsung and Kepco

Mike — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:32:24 +0000

Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) and Samsung C&T have signed a contract to build a new $6 billion renewable power plant complex in a small village near Toronto in southern Ontario.

Superconductors to get a low temperature boost (-180°C) from Laser-based refrigerator

Ovidiu — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:41:03 +0000

University of New Mexico researchers have surpassed themselves in a laser-based cooling project. Professor Mansoor Sheik-Bahae (et al.) and other researchers from the University of Pisa, Italy and the Los Alamos Institute created the world's first all-solid-state cryocooler, that can be used from cooling infrared sensors to superconductors.

Beam-Down Solar Concentrator Dramatically Reduces Costs at Price of Efficiency

Ovidiu — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:02:49 +0000

By seeking to cut costs with the production of energy and building the necessary infrastructure, scientists from the Masdar Institute along with their colleagues from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Cosmo Oil (?) are studying how to convert old, expensive solar concentrator technology to a new and more flexible one: The Beam Down Project.

Solar Shingles Built by Dow Chemical to Be The Cheapest Solution for Home Use

Ovidiu — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:31:49 +0000

Dow Chemical, a leading U.S. chemical manufacturer, has profiled on the solar panel industry lately. Moreover, they began to produce solar shingles that are to be more efficient and easy to install. They even say an electrician is only required in the last phase of the installation, when they all get connected into the grid system.

DIY 3D Solar Panel Powers Electric Motor From 2 LED Flashlights

Ovidiu — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:40:51 +0000

Ryszard says it's much more efficient to assemble solar cell this way than put them directly into light, where you'll lose a lot through reflection back into the environment. Some recently invented anti-reflective coatings may even accelerate the light's absorption into the solar cells. This is one of the advantages.

FloDesign’s Jet Engine Wind Turbine Passing to Production Phase

Ovidiu — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:43:05 +0000

It's almost two years since I first wrote about Flodesign's Jet Engine-like wind turbine, and, at that time, I was saying it was 4 times more efficient than any regular wind turbine used today. Now it's good news to hear that they grew up, and their plans pass on from theory to practice.

New Iron-Based Material Could Be The Best High Temperature Superconductor

Ovidiu — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:24:26 +0000

Following the dream of realizing a high-temperature superconductor, Cornell University researchers just found something about iron-based materials: they can be made to resemble electronic liquid crystals.

A Next-Generation Electric Power System to Be Built in Japan

Mike — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:37:28 +0000

Toshiba Corp aims that by the end of 2010 will build a next-generation electric power system in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. According to the company, the system will come with storage batteries to stabilize the supply electric energy by solar panels, wind turbines, etc.

Magnetic Pendulum: A Free Energy Device Running for Three Years Now

Ovidiu — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:36:54 +0000

This is another free energy device using magnets taken from PESWiki.com. The inventor is George Delk, who allegedly runs this device for three years now.

Hydra Energy Saving Device Uses Your Phone to Tell Your Energy Vampires

Ovidiu — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:20:46 +0000

For every device there is plogg, a measuring apparatus mounted between the wall socket and the consumer that measures its power consumption and wirelessly sends that consumption to a central server around your house.

Toyota Preparing FT-CH, a Smaller and Sportier Prius Variant

Ovidiu — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:46:06 +0000

I've always wanted to have a Prius, but didn't have the "tim€" and "$pace" for one up to now. Good news are on the way, as Toyota is planning a smaller variation of the Prius - the FT-CH. Cheaper and smaller, the FT-CH is addressing the younger segment of the green-trendy population.

HCE Invented Method to Store Hydrogen In Your Regular Fuel Tank

Ovidiu — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:52:17 +0000

Kevin, from Hydrogencarsnow.com recently talked to Louis Ventre, Executive VP and General Counsel for HCE, LLC, who filed a patent application for a new hydrogen storage system, based on nano-sized hydrogen bubbles contained in a water environment.

Indonesian Kinetic Energy Harvesting Device Claims Getting 150 W

Mike — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 08:00:40 +0000

A team of students led by Harus Laksana Guntur, an engineering lecturer at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) in East Java capital Surabaya have developed a mobile kinetic energy charger that can charge your cellphone every time you move. Unlike a battery or solar charger, this new cellphone charger uses the user's energy to reload mobile phones.

The Discovery of Soybean’s Genetic Code to Improve Biodiesel Production

Cristi — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:34:38 +0000

The genome sequence was published in the journal Nature, and its main purpose was to better understand the plant's capacity to turn sunlight, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water, into concentrated energy, protein, and nutrients for human and animal use.

Biochar: A Soil Fertilizer Used by Amazonian Indians Could Effectively Capture CO2

Ovidiu — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:19:26 +0000

Mass production of biochar could capture and sock away carbon that otherwise would wind up in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. Their report appears in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, a bi-weekly journal.

1 MW Solar-Powered Parking Lot Opening in Bordentown, NJ

Ovidiu — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:55:55 +0000

Alpha Energy, a U.S.-based company, that, among others, delivers turnkey photovoltaic systems, has recently completed the construction of a 1 MW solar cell parking lot, for the Manheim NJ Auto Dealers Exchange in Bordentown, NJ.

Self-Assembling Silicon Solar Cells Could Make Cheap & Flexible Panels

Ovidiu — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:44:24 +0000

Silicon solar cells recently lost some field because of the invention of other types of flexible, but not so efficient solar cells. Still, silicon cells have another word to say, as two University of Minnesota researchers, J. Knuesel and Heiko O. Jacobs discovered a basic, low-tech method of making micrometric solar cells self-assemble onto anything, including flexible surfaces.

Modified Nokia Cell Phone Powered by Coke or Any Other Soda

Mike — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:02:14 +0000

A Chinese developer called Daizi Zheng has discovered a new source of power for cell phones: Coca-Cola. He recently modified a Nokia cell phone to be powered by this juice or any other sugary solution.

Hitachi Develops New Hi-Power Battery for PHEVs

Mike — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:06:51 +0000

Hitachi Vehicle Energy Ltd and Hitachi Ltd have developed a lithium-ion rechargeable battery that has a high output density and a high energy density for PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles).

New Transparent Solar Cells Can be Sprayed Onto Any Glass Surface

Mike — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:01:39 +0000

Researchers at New Energy Technologies have recently developed transparent solar cells which can be sprayed onto any type of glass. They successfully removed all metals from the solar cell and replaced them with an environmentally-friendly see-thru compound.

New York City Increases EV Sales to 70,000 New Cars by 2015

Cristi — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:57:00 +0000

We all know that one of the industries that pollute the most is the automotive industry. With several millions of vehicles on the roads, that consume every day millions of tons of fossil fuels, the air in the megacities becomes more and more unbreathable.

New Artificial Leaf Concept Increases Hydrogen Output Three Times

Mike — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:17:40 +0000

This idea is not new, but until now scientists have focused on trying to mimic or modify the molecules directly involved in splitting hydrogen. "We'd like to adopt an entirely different concept, to mimic photosynthesis by copying the elaborate architectures of green leaves," says Tongxiang Fan.

VW Presents Its New Coupe Hybrid Concept at NAIAS in Detroit

Cristi — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:58:04 +0000

2010 comes with no surprises anymore as it continues the trend imposed last year, when most of the manufacturers presented electric vehicles and hybrid or plug-in hybrids.

Haier’s Wirelessly-Powered TV Demonstrates WiTricity Technology On Higher Powers

Ovidiu — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:36:40 +0000

Haier, a Chinese home electronics producer, has demonstrated WiTricity's wireless power technology at CES 2010 by powering a TV set with no strings attached.

Video: Alsetalokin’s Magnetic Motor Working

Ovidiu — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:46:16 +0000

Many have tried to build magnetic motors, but it's difficult, and the difficulty comes from the fact that you somehow have to isolate and beam the magnetic field into only one direction. Here is another experimenter that uses rotating magnets on the stator, that if aligned properly to a certain pattern that he tries to find every time the motor starts.

Electric Ford Focus On The Market by 2011

Mike — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:16:45 +0000

This Monday, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Ford announced their intentions to build a next-generation Ford Focus, an all-electric version of the vehicle, starting next year.

Hydrokinetic Power Does Not Affect Fish Populations

Cristi — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:11:26 +0000

We all need electricity for powering different stuff in our home, to make our lives more pleasant. But if the electricity is produced using green sources it's even better. One of the most used types of energy up to now was hydropower, but this one involves the construction of dams, weirs or other structures that could affect fish.

Airnergy: The Device That Charges Your Gadgets From WiFi Signals

Ovidiu — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:34:52 +0000

Tesla had been dreaming about this many decades ago, and it seems his dreams even became reality, and several other thousands of minds all around the globe and over the time have been fantasizing about how would it be like to have your electronic devices powered wirelessly.

Panasonic to Equip Tesla Motors’ Future EVs With Their Batteries

Cristi — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:14:33 +0000

Just few days ago, Tesla Motors announced that they will start the collaboration with Panasonic for the development of the next generation battery cells for the EV.

SunPower Helps Sewage Treatment Plants Get Self Sustaining

Cristi — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:18:55 +0000

Wastewater treatment plants are usually packed with industrial-sized aerators, pumps and other machines that usually use a lot of electricity from the grid. But SunPower Corp. developed a solar power system for the West Riverside Wastewater Treatment Plant in Corona, California that is able to generate one-megawatt of energy

New Microbubble Production Making Biofuels and Wastewater Treatment More Efficient

Ovidiu — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:29:37 +0000

I didn't really actively realize that current biofuel production technologies imply the usage of fossil fuels at certain moments of the production process. This fact reduces the biofuels' credibility as a cleaner source of energy and increases their carbon footprint.

Solar-Powered Irrigation System Increases Vegetable Production Up to 500% in Sub-Saharan Villages

Cristi — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:37:28 +0000

A recent study made by Jennifer Burney from Stanford University, shows hope for the next generations: it seems that solar-power irrigation systems have significantly enhanced the living standards of sub-Saharan Africa villagers.

How to Build a Gravity Engine: The Pinwheel Free Energy Generator

Ovidiu — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 07:52:37 +0000

Pinwheels have been used for many things along history. One of the most interesting uses I've ever seen is making a pinwheel act as a free energy generator, powered by gravity.