Ethanol plant moves to Aylmer
By Michael-Allan Marion
Local News - Wednesday, March 29, 2006 @ 01:00
A local farmer-led co-operative will build its $86-million ethanol plant in Aylmer rather than in the Brantford area.
Integrated Grain Processors Co-operative has decided to cast aside an earlier plan to build in the Oak Park North private industrial park in the city’s northwest -- which was meeting with growing community resistance -- and put down stakes in a fully serviced business park on the outskirts of Aylmer in Elgin County.
The board of directors for IGPC -- with more than 600 members mostly from Brant County -- decided to buy 48 acres in that industrial park after the town council voted unanimously to support the project.
The plant will use municipal water that comes by pipe from Lake Erie -- rather than from an aquifer at Oak Park North -- and 15 million bushels of corn to produce 150 million litres of ethanol per year.
"Skim over the existing hot political air". Innovation is the life blood of every nation. We encourage an idea exchange on any topics that is break through technology-simple or complex.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Thin solar panel
New thin solar panel could be woven into clothing, says Canadian prof
Last Updated Mon, 10 Jan 2005 18:47:42 EST
CBC News
TORONTO - A new material created at the University of Toronto could lead to clothing that can harness the sun to recharge cellphones and other devices.
The new, thin plastic is five times more efficient at converting the sun's power into electric energy than conventional solar panels, says Ted Sargent, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the university.
The plastic composite is a combination of tiny particles called quantum dots and a thin polymer, and can absorb light in the infrared, the same kind of light used in television remote controls.
And while today's best plastic solar cells can convert only six per cent of the sun's energy to electricity, Sargent says his film can capture 30 per cent.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Grow your own meat?
How to make your own meat
Vladimir Mironov, a tissue engineer at the Medical University of South Carolina, wants to build a device the size of a coffee maker that would allow people to grow meat in their kitchens.
Here is how it might work.
1. Myoblasts, immature cells that develop into muscle fibre, would be harvested from a pig, cow, chicken or turkey and cultured.
2. Cooks could buy these starter cells, and add them to a growth medium, which would contain water, sugar, salt vitamins, amino acids and growth factors that would stimulate them to reproduce. (Scientists now use fetal bovine serum, but say they would have to come up with a product that was more affordable).
3. The mixture would be put into a counter top incubator, where it would be warmed to encourage growth.
4. The cells would develop into muscle fibre.
5. Hours later, small pieces of meat could be harvested, washed and cooked, either in a patty or a sauce.
Vladimir Mironov, a tissue engineer at the Medical University of South Carolina, wants to build a device the size of a coffee maker that would allow people to grow meat in their kitchens.
Here is how it might work.
1. Myoblasts, immature cells that develop into muscle fibre, would be harvested from a pig, cow, chicken or turkey and cultured.
2. Cooks could buy these starter cells, and add them to a growth medium, which would contain water, sugar, salt vitamins, amino acids and growth factors that would stimulate them to reproduce. (Scientists now use fetal bovine serum, but say they would have to come up with a product that was more affordable).
3. The mixture would be put into a counter top incubator, where it would be warmed to encourage growth.
4. The cells would develop into muscle fibre.
5. Hours later, small pieces of meat could be harvested, washed and cooked, either in a patty or a sauce.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
globeandmail.com : Ontario unveils green power plan
great Sglobeandmail.com : Ontario unveils green power plan: "Ontario unveils green power plan
Canadian Press
Cambridge, Ont. � Ontario is fixing prices for green power generated by small renewable energy projects.
Under the program, the Ontario Power Authority will buy power produced by wind farms and other renewable methods at 11 cents per kilowatt-hour."
Canadian Press
Cambridge, Ont. � Ontario is fixing prices for green power generated by small renewable energy projects.
Under the program, the Ontario Power Authority will buy power produced by wind farms and other renewable methods at 11 cents per kilowatt-hour."
Sunday, March 19, 2006
canada.com Autos/Cars - New/Used Car Classifieds and Review
canada.com Autos/Cars - New/Used Car Classifieds and Review: "Intelligent gas pedal alerts of possible collision
By YURI KAGEYAMA, AP Business Writer
AP
Friday, March 17, 2006
CREDIT: AP Photo
A driver keeps eyes on a vehicle running ahead during a test of Nissan Motor Co.'s new safety feature dubbed 'magic bumber' that causes a car's gas pedal to lift by itself to alert the driver of a possible collision at a Nissan's test facility in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, Tuesday, March 14, 2006. That new technology combines radar sensors and a computer system to judge a car's speed and the distance to the vehicle in front. Senior manager Yousuke Akatsu hopes to offer the feature in about tw
A new safety feature being developed by Nissan Motor Co. causes a car's gas pedal to lift by itself to alert the driver of a possible collision.
That new technology, shown to reporters this week, combines radar sensors and a computer system to judge a car's speed and the distance to the vehicle in front.
When the car senses a possible head-on crash, the gas pedal automatically rises against the driver's foot as a signal to step on the brake.
If sensors detect a possible collision ahead, the brake automatically kicks in when the driver lifts his or her foot off the gas."
By YURI KAGEYAMA, AP Business Writer
AP
Friday, March 17, 2006
CREDIT: AP Photo
A driver keeps eyes on a vehicle running ahead during a test of Nissan Motor Co.'s new safety feature dubbed 'magic bumber' that causes a car's gas pedal to lift by itself to alert the driver of a possible collision at a Nissan's test facility in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, Tuesday, March 14, 2006. That new technology combines radar sensors and a computer system to judge a car's speed and the distance to the vehicle in front. Senior manager Yousuke Akatsu hopes to offer the feature in about tw
A new safety feature being developed by Nissan Motor Co. causes a car's gas pedal to lift by itself to alert the driver of a possible collision.
That new technology, shown to reporters this week, combines radar sensors and a computer system to judge a car's speed and the distance to the vehicle in front.
When the car senses a possible head-on crash, the gas pedal automatically rises against the driver's foot as a signal to step on the brake.
If sensors detect a possible collision ahead, the brake automatically kicks in when the driver lifts his or her foot off the gas."
Thursday, March 16, 2006
canada.com Autos/Cars - New/Used Car Classifieds and Review
canada.com Autos/Cars - New/Used Car Classifieds and Review: "Self-repairing finishes the latest in new tech
Mood-ring style car paint
Sarah Staples
CanWest News Service"
Mood-ring style car paint
Sarah Staples
CanWest News Service"
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Clean energyboom
Clean Energy Boom Forecast
Report predicts that global revenue from biofuel, solar, wind, and fuel cells will hit $167 billion in 10 years.March 6, 2006
The market for biofuels, solar energy, wind power, and fuel cells is expected to quadruple in the next decade, a report Monday said, as the price of these alternative energies decline and the world becomes more concerned about the environmental impact of fossil fuels.
Collectively, global revenue from these fuels is seen growing to $167 billion by 2015 from $40 billion in 2005, according to the Clean Energy Trends report from Clean Edge, a Portland, Oregon-based research firm.
“If you look at the growth rates for wind, solar, and now biofuels, they are now growing more than 30 percent a year,” said Ron Pernick, a principal with Clean Edge. “It’s starting to look similar to the personal computer industry in the 1980s.”
When President George W. Bush said in his State of the Union address earlier this year that America was “addicted to oil” and needed to achieve energy independence through alternative energy sources, clean energy came to be perceived as “the new red, white, and blue,” according to Mr. Pernick.
“America’s No. 1 oilman finally came around,” he said. “It’s very important what Bush did in the State of the Union, for the nation’s understanding of how important energy independence is to security issues. It’s not so much early leadership. The train was leaving the station and he had to get on it.”
The firm found that the market for biofuels alone, such as biodiesel and ethanol, reached $15.7 billion globally in 2005. The report projects that amount will grow to $52.5 billion by 2015. Biofuels are already up 15 percent over 2004 and exceeded wind and solar energy technology in revenue.
However, those markets are growing as well. Clean Edge forecasts that the market for solar photovoltaic energy technology, including modules, system components, and installations, will grow from $11.2 billion in 2005 to $51.1 billion by 2015.
Wind power has also been blowing in the right direction, with installations expanding from $11.8 billion in 2005 to $48.5 billion in 2015. Fuel cells and distributed hydrogen are on the rise too, increasing from $1.2 billion in 2005 to $15.1 billion by 2015.
Venture capitalists have been taking notice. Clean Edge teamed with Nth Power, an energy tech venture firm based in San Francisco, to chart the growth of VC funding in the clean tech sector.
They found that VC investors funded more than 80 clean energy companies in 2005, to the tune of $917 million. That represented an increase of about 28 percent from 2004. Clean energy investments totaled more than 4 percent of the $21.7-billion U.S. venture capital market, up from 3.3 percent in 2004.
“2005 marked a sharp rise in venture capital dollars invested in energy-tech companies,” said Rodrigo Prudencio, a principal with Nth Power.
Renewable Tipping Point
Renewables are now crossing a tipping point in terms of pricing, according to Mr. Pernick. Customers of Austin Energy’s GreenChoice and Xcel Energy’s Windsource were able to lock in their energy pricing while natural gas prices and surcharges went through the roof for other utility customers.
Prices of alternative energy products have been decreasing drastically. Wind power used to cost $0.30 per kilowatt hour in 1980 and now costs $0.03 or $0.04 per kilowatt hour.
About 4 million vehicles on U.S. roads run on a mix of ethanol and gasoline, and GM and Ford are starting to ramp up their production of flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) that can run both on conventional and alternative fuels. GM plans to produce 400,000 such vehicles this year and Ford plans to make 250,000.
Countries such as Brazil, China, and India have been aggressively expanding their use of clean energy technology as well. “A lot of these countries are poised to leapfrog other nations, and we’re starting to see that happen,” said Mr. Pernick.
Global warming and climate change are also having an impact, forcing industry to put more resources into clean energy technology. The financial incentives are also there, with three of the biggest IPOs of the past year occurring in the solar energy industry: SunPower, Suntech, and Q-Cells.
The influx of capital is occurring within large corporations as well. General Electric’s acquisition of Enron Wind generated $2 billion in revenue in 2005. Toyota shipped more than 200,000 hybrid vehicles last year and now has a larger market cap than General Motors.
Hanging Back
Rona Fried, president of SustainableBusiness.com, pointed out, however, that companies and investors have not seen the same growth in the fuel cell and hydrogen sectors as they have with wind, solar, and biofuels. “Investors are hanging back because they see it’s a maybe,” she said.
Rob Wilder, president of WilderShares LLC and manager of the WilderHill Clean Energy Index, said his index has seen an increase of about 26 percent just since January 1. “We’re up far more than any other sector,” he said.
He noted that exchange-traded funds grew from $200 million to $400 million in two-and-a-half months. “Those metrics are good examples of the eyeballs drawn to clean energy,” he said.
Report predicts that global revenue from biofuel, solar, wind, and fuel cells will hit $167 billion in 10 years.March 6, 2006
The market for biofuels, solar energy, wind power, and fuel cells is expected to quadruple in the next decade, a report Monday said, as the price of these alternative energies decline and the world becomes more concerned about the environmental impact of fossil fuels.
Collectively, global revenue from these fuels is seen growing to $167 billion by 2015 from $40 billion in 2005, according to the Clean Energy Trends report from Clean Edge, a Portland, Oregon-based research firm.
“If you look at the growth rates for wind, solar, and now biofuels, they are now growing more than 30 percent a year,” said Ron Pernick, a principal with Clean Edge. “It’s starting to look similar to the personal computer industry in the 1980s.”
When President George W. Bush said in his State of the Union address earlier this year that America was “addicted to oil” and needed to achieve energy independence through alternative energy sources, clean energy came to be perceived as “the new red, white, and blue,” according to Mr. Pernick.
“America’s No. 1 oilman finally came around,” he said. “It’s very important what Bush did in the State of the Union, for the nation’s understanding of how important energy independence is to security issues. It’s not so much early leadership. The train was leaving the station and he had to get on it.”
The firm found that the market for biofuels alone, such as biodiesel and ethanol, reached $15.7 billion globally in 2005. The report projects that amount will grow to $52.5 billion by 2015. Biofuels are already up 15 percent over 2004 and exceeded wind and solar energy technology in revenue.
However, those markets are growing as well. Clean Edge forecasts that the market for solar photovoltaic energy technology, including modules, system components, and installations, will grow from $11.2 billion in 2005 to $51.1 billion by 2015.
Wind power has also been blowing in the right direction, with installations expanding from $11.8 billion in 2005 to $48.5 billion in 2015. Fuel cells and distributed hydrogen are on the rise too, increasing from $1.2 billion in 2005 to $15.1 billion by 2015.
Venture capitalists have been taking notice. Clean Edge teamed with Nth Power, an energy tech venture firm based in San Francisco, to chart the growth of VC funding in the clean tech sector.
They found that VC investors funded more than 80 clean energy companies in 2005, to the tune of $917 million. That represented an increase of about 28 percent from 2004. Clean energy investments totaled more than 4 percent of the $21.7-billion U.S. venture capital market, up from 3.3 percent in 2004.
“2005 marked a sharp rise in venture capital dollars invested in energy-tech companies,” said Rodrigo Prudencio, a principal with Nth Power.
Renewable Tipping Point
Renewables are now crossing a tipping point in terms of pricing, according to Mr. Pernick. Customers of Austin Energy’s GreenChoice and Xcel Energy’s Windsource were able to lock in their energy pricing while natural gas prices and surcharges went through the roof for other utility customers.
Prices of alternative energy products have been decreasing drastically. Wind power used to cost $0.30 per kilowatt hour in 1980 and now costs $0.03 or $0.04 per kilowatt hour.
About 4 million vehicles on U.S. roads run on a mix of ethanol and gasoline, and GM and Ford are starting to ramp up their production of flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) that can run both on conventional and alternative fuels. GM plans to produce 400,000 such vehicles this year and Ford plans to make 250,000.
Countries such as Brazil, China, and India have been aggressively expanding their use of clean energy technology as well. “A lot of these countries are poised to leapfrog other nations, and we’re starting to see that happen,” said Mr. Pernick.
Global warming and climate change are also having an impact, forcing industry to put more resources into clean energy technology. The financial incentives are also there, with three of the biggest IPOs of the past year occurring in the solar energy industry: SunPower, Suntech, and Q-Cells.
The influx of capital is occurring within large corporations as well. General Electric’s acquisition of Enron Wind generated $2 billion in revenue in 2005. Toyota shipped more than 200,000 hybrid vehicles last year and now has a larger market cap than General Motors.
Hanging Back
Rona Fried, president of SustainableBusiness.com, pointed out, however, that companies and investors have not seen the same growth in the fuel cell and hydrogen sectors as they have with wind, solar, and biofuels. “Investors are hanging back because they see it’s a maybe,” she said.
Rob Wilder, president of WilderShares LLC and manager of the WilderHill Clean Energy Index, said his index has seen an increase of about 26 percent just since January 1. “We’re up far more than any other sector,” he said.
He noted that exchange-traded funds grew from $200 million to $400 million in two-and-a-half months. “Those metrics are good examples of the eyeballs drawn to clean energy,” he said.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
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