Hydrogen Proposal - Google Docs
Conceptual Proposal for a Wind-Hydrogen System Pilot
R. J. Patrick P. Eng.
Introduction Why we need new fuel cell technology
The age of oil has been the single most important contributing factor in the development of our modern world. The reserves of black gold have allowed us to have unprecented travel potential, unprecented employment potential and took the industrial revolution into the space age.
Unfortunately, there is no free lunch. Not only have we seriously polluted the atmosphere of the planet, but also we are using up the oil infinitely faster than nature can replenish it. We need to do something to limit the flow of oil from the ground. In addition, our greed for oil has allowed the rise of unstable and dangerous political regimes and terrorist groups that now threaten both our economy and our security. In fact, some pundits feel that the quest to preserve access to Middle Eastern oil reserves may cause the war in Iraq to be a war that never ends.
Quite simply, we must do something to get off oil and onto another fuel
What follows is an unsolicited proposal to begin the process. For a minimal level of investment, a well-targeted corporate project can establish world-leadership in the off-oil movement and in restabilizing the Middle East.
What Is The Answer? Hydrogen fuel cells
The interim answer, quite simply said (but not so simply done) is hydrogen. Hydrogen gas H2 is abundant, available and burns cleanly. The combustion product is water. In addition, hydrogen can be used in conventional gasoline engines with a conversion similar to the conversion for natural gas. Hydrogen can also be used in fuel cells - if and when a reliable hydrogen cell is developed.
Hydrogen is generated using electricity, which heretofore has made its use as fuel uneconomical. However, there is an economical electrical resource that is ideally suited for the hydrogen slant on things. Wind generated electricity is a very reasonable answer to the question. The fuel is free, and hydrogen storage allows for the use of the system during times of low wind availability.
Hydrogen can also be used in a conventional engine, an electro-mechanical diesel engine or a fuel cell to generate electricity. CLEAN ELECTRICITY!! Wind energy alone is only partially suitable for direct generation of electricity. When the "fuel", wind, is diminished or absent, something else has to be used to take up the slack in energy. If conventional fossil fuels are used, pollutants are generated which defeat the purpose of using the clean wind energy in the first place. If hydrogen is used to take up the slack, the result is clean energy.
Again, there is no free lunch. This system does not come without a price. The overall efficiency of the system is low. Therefore, sufficient wind generation resources must be provided to overcome this.
Why Are We Concerned? Conventional Energy is beoming more expensive with outages expected
There is an excellent video on the market called "The End of Suburbia" The producer, a man named Barry Silverthorn from Paris, Ontario, has gone to great lengths to examine the suburban way of life and the impact of dwindling oil and natural gas reserves. Some of the experts featured (one in particular from Iran) feel that the world oil production has peaked now . Peaking means that the rate of oil recovery from the ground has reached its maximum and can only decline. With increasing consumption from the Chinese, this means that the western way of life is seriously threatened and that western economies cannot grow. In point of fact, natural gas production has already peaked. Currently, the United States consumes fully 50% of Canadaian gas production. Fixing the worldwide problem is daunting and virtually impossible. The only viable alternative is to live more "locally".
What this means is that we must adjust our way of life to consume much less energy. It also means that we have to consider smaller local energy solutions to take up the slack when the larger more environmentally damaging systems fail.
In addition, we must consider our stewardship of the planet. Existing energy solutions are very damaging to the environment. There are some who have postulated that this damage was a contributing factor in the increasing fury and frequency of hurricanes in the Southern United States. The polar ice caps are receding creating fears of large land mass loss on the coastal areas of North America and Europe. Nunavut Territory, for instance, relies completely on oil for its energy needs (both electrical and heat) and emits more greenhouse gas per capita than any other jurisdiction in the world. We can't continue with this mentality!
Why Not Just Wind?
When wind energy is used, it is cheap, and the fuel is free. You can generate electricity. Wind, however is rarely constant. When the wind doesn't blow, you don't produce energy. This requires other forms of generation to take up the slack. The Danes have managed to get an 18% penetration of their power generation through wind energy. That is about the limit. I recall an installation in Nunavut in Kugluktuk. The penetration was about 50% in that case. When the wind varied, the fossil fired generation could not react to the load and the system collapsed. This was virtually a daily occurrence. It would seem, therefore, that wind alone is not much of an answer.
The Proposal- New generation Fuel cells
This system has been implemented in other jurisdiction as a demonstration project. Each part has also been done before, but the business model has not. In addition, since Fuel cells are desirable, there does not appear to be PEM fuel cells available on today's market for either single dwelling or community use. Therefore, some modifications might be required to allow a natural gas reformer to be removed from another type of fuel cell in order to allow for the use of straight hydrogen. This is a conceptual proposal for evaluation. We will supply a detailed proposal if there is an interest by the client.
Wind energy is a very old technology. It has been used for everything from flour making to water pumping. Recently, more sophisticated wind turbines have been designed to allow for the generation of electricity. In conventional wind-diesel systems, sophisticated control systems and battery backup systems have been used to allow the system to perform seamlessly. In point of fact, the control systems used (noteably in Alaska) do not provide 100% reliability and outages still ensue. The cause of the outage is the inability of the fossil fuelled backup to respond to the failure of the wind turbine within a reasonable period of time, which would prevent a system trip as a result of undervoltage or underfrequency conditions. The control systems are far better than wind-diesel without control, but the overall savings in diesel fuel was only 25%
The proposal at hand is to create a business opportunity to stimulate the wind hydrogen alternative and commercialize it to the point that it can be sold internationally.
First, some details of the technical system:
Wind turbines are mature technology. There are some issues when operating them in colder climates and this is one of the reasons for a pilot scale system. Many turbines have been tried in the Arctic, but only one survived the initial trial and even it required extensive modification. Therefore, there would have to be a monitored trial period for the turbine before commercialization could occur. In addition, solar panels would probably be required for summer use when the wind levels are traditionally lower.
The hydrolyser, unit, which makes the hydrogen gas from water, is a very mature technology and requires no trial period.
If a fuel cell were desired for the production of electricity, this would require the bulk of the work. Conventional fuel cell systems of any decent size are designed to operate on natural gas. The natural gas is "reformed" into hydrogen using the heat from the fuel cell. If straight hydrogen fuel were to be used directly, the reformer would have to be removed from the unit and a suitable heat exchange system to remove the heat designed.
The system, however, can run quite happily with conventional internal combustion engines or electro-mechanical diesels with spark injectors. In point of fact, the most realistic configuration from a repair and system planning perspective might be the use of conventional engines coupled in tandem running a reasonably sized generator (say, 300 KW). This configuration would allow for local resources to maintain the engines and for the replacement of one engine without shutting down the entire generator. Even diesel systems would require some specialized maintenance expertise In either the community or single dwelling model, vehicles could be run by hydrogen as part of the system
The wind system would have to be over provisioned to take the efficiency into account and to allow for the use of hydrogen as a fuel. Hydrogen gas can be used as a fuel in converted vehicles. This would allow for the use of existing vehicular infrastructure in preclude the need for the purchase of new, more technologically advanced vehicles by people who probably couldn't afford them. In addition, the existing natural gas infrastructure could also be used to provide hydrogen as a heating fuel (assuming a suitable accommodation with the gas company could be reached). In the single residence model, the internal systems could be tapped directly.
This system is both technically feasible and could quite easily get a small community or even just a single residence completely off grid power and conventional fuels.
The Scalable Business Model
Why would a client invest in the order of $10 million more or less- to do this (community model)? What we are proposing is just that - an scalable investment to the small or large community. This system is considered as a demonstration and as a marketing vehicle.
Test Market needed
If the client were to invest the money and get a small community or single residence off conventional energy, the project could be used to market the system internationally. Small communities in the Arctic, around the globe could benefit greatly and be potential customers. This would include Alaska and the former Soviet Union. It is quite likely that the United States and/or the World Bank would buy systems to install in these and other underdeveloped areas as a way to increase their access to oil and reduce pollution. In addition, the Chinese might be avid customers. Again, these systems might allow an oil greedy Chinese economy to stop sharing with residential users.
What we are suggesting is a return on investment for the system. In addition, the Federal Government, currently in election mode, would most probably underwrite the costs. We are suggesting Port Rowan, or a similiar small community for this trial because it is a tourist town that would give the project a high profile.
Resources are available to bootstrap this innovation project
For more information or expressions of interest please contact the hydrogen project group
Technical project consultants and development team presentaly available
The Role of R. J. Patrick
What we are proposing is a relationship with the client as project managers for the initial construction, and operation of the project. In addition, we have resources that are very experienced in marketing and product development when the product goes to the market.
Who is R. J. Patrick? A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER with extensive experiene .
Over 20 years of Electrical, I&C design and multidisciplinary hands-on project management and a skilled communicator with the ability to facilitate.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
LabPixies - Add Gadgets To Your Toolbar
LabPixies - Add Gadgets To Your Toolbar: "Add gadgets to your toolbar! Add the coolest gadgets on the web! Browse our over increasing selection of gadgets for your personal toolbar. Simply click the button below each gadget. "
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Could salt water fuel care
Could salt water fuel cars?
by Josh Clark
Inside This Article
1.
Could salt water fuel cars?
2.
Aquygen
3.
Lots More Information
4.
See all Alternative Fuel articles
In the future, you might see a lot of confused seagulls hovering around your local gas station. That's because rather than gasoline, gas stations could smell a lot like the beach. It depends on whether the kinks can be worked out in an invention created by a 63-year-old named John Kanzius that could create an alternative fuel out of salt water. Through sheer serendipity, Kanzius, a former broadcast engineer, found out something incredible -- under the right conditions, salt water can burn at incredible temperatures. With a little bit of tinkering, it might even serve as an alternative fuel for our cars in the future.
Image courtesy WPBF-TVYes, you're seeing water burn.
Kanzius' journey toward surprise inspiration began with a leukemia diagnosis in 2003. Faced with the prospect of debilitating chemotherapy, he decided he would try to invent a better alternative for destroying cancerous cells. What he came up with is his radio frequency generator (RFG), a machine that generates radio waves and focuses them into a concentrated area. Kanzius used the RFG to heat small metallic particles inserted into tumors, destroying the tumors without harming normal cells.
But what does cancer treatment have to do with salt water as fuel?
During a demonstration of the RFG, an observer noticed that it was causing water in a nearby test tube to condense. If the RFG could make water condense, it could theoretically separate salt out of seawater. Perhaps, then, it could be used to desalinize water, an issue of global proportions. The old seaman's adage "Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" applies inland as well: Some nations are drying up and their populations suffering from thirst, yet the world is 70 percent ocean water. An effective means of removing salt from salt water could save countless lives. So it's no surprise that Kanzius trained his RFG on the goal of salt water desalinization.
During his first test, however, he noticed a surprising side effect. When he aimed the RFG at a test tube filled with seawater, it sparked. This is not a normal reaction by water.
Kanzius tried the test again, this time lighting a paper towel and touching it to the water while the water was in the path of the RFG. He got an even bigger surprise -- the test tube ignited and stayed alight while the RFG was turned on.
News of the experiment was generally met with allegations of it being a hoax, but after Penn State University chemists got their hands on the RFG and tried their own experiments, they found it was indeed true. The RFG could ignite and burn salt water. The flame could reach temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit and burn as long as the RFG was on and aimed at it.
But how could salt water possibly ignite? Why don't careless litterbugs who flick lit cigarette butts into the sea set the whole planet aflame? It all has to do with hydrogen. In its normal state, salt water has a stable composition of sodium chloride (the salt) and hydrogen and oxygen (the water). But the radio waves from Kanzius' RFG disrupt that stability, degrading the bonds that hold the chemicals in salt water together. This releases the volatile hydrogen molecules, and the heat output from the RFG ignites them and burns them indefinitely.
So will our cars soon run on salt water instead of gasoline? That may be. First, there are a few hurdles to overcome. Read the next page for some of the bugs that need to be worked out before we drive salt-water-fueled cars.
by Josh Clark
Inside This Article
1.
Could salt water fuel cars?
2.
Aquygen
3.
Lots More Information
4.
See all Alternative Fuel articles
In the future, you might see a lot of confused seagulls hovering around your local gas station. That's because rather than gasoline, gas stations could smell a lot like the beach. It depends on whether the kinks can be worked out in an invention created by a 63-year-old named John Kanzius that could create an alternative fuel out of salt water. Through sheer serendipity, Kanzius, a former broadcast engineer, found out something incredible -- under the right conditions, salt water can burn at incredible temperatures. With a little bit of tinkering, it might even serve as an alternative fuel for our cars in the future.
Image courtesy WPBF-TVYes, you're seeing water burn.
Kanzius' journey toward surprise inspiration began with a leukemia diagnosis in 2003. Faced with the prospect of debilitating chemotherapy, he decided he would try to invent a better alternative for destroying cancerous cells. What he came up with is his radio frequency generator (RFG), a machine that generates radio waves and focuses them into a concentrated area. Kanzius used the RFG to heat small metallic particles inserted into tumors, destroying the tumors without harming normal cells.
But what does cancer treatment have to do with salt water as fuel?
During a demonstration of the RFG, an observer noticed that it was causing water in a nearby test tube to condense. If the RFG could make water condense, it could theoretically separate salt out of seawater. Perhaps, then, it could be used to desalinize water, an issue of global proportions. The old seaman's adage "Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" applies inland as well: Some nations are drying up and their populations suffering from thirst, yet the world is 70 percent ocean water. An effective means of removing salt from salt water could save countless lives. So it's no surprise that Kanzius trained his RFG on the goal of salt water desalinization.
During his first test, however, he noticed a surprising side effect. When he aimed the RFG at a test tube filled with seawater, it sparked. This is not a normal reaction by water.
Kanzius tried the test again, this time lighting a paper towel and touching it to the water while the water was in the path of the RFG. He got an even bigger surprise -- the test tube ignited and stayed alight while the RFG was turned on.
News of the experiment was generally met with allegations of it being a hoax, but after Penn State University chemists got their hands on the RFG and tried their own experiments, they found it was indeed true. The RFG could ignite and burn salt water. The flame could reach temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit and burn as long as the RFG was on and aimed at it.
But how could salt water possibly ignite? Why don't careless litterbugs who flick lit cigarette butts into the sea set the whole planet aflame? It all has to do with hydrogen. In its normal state, salt water has a stable composition of sodium chloride (the salt) and hydrogen and oxygen (the water). But the radio waves from Kanzius' RFG disrupt that stability, degrading the bonds that hold the chemicals in salt water together. This releases the volatile hydrogen molecules, and the heat output from the RFG ignites them and burns them indefinitely.
So will our cars soon run on salt water instead of gasoline? That may be. First, there are a few hurdles to overcome. Read the next page for some of the bugs that need to be worked out before we drive salt-water-fueled cars.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Cheap solar
Investors have flocked to solar and other renewable energy sources amid worries about the high costs of oil and natural gas and greenhouse gas emissions. Solar is the fastest growing energy source, but still provides less than 1 percent of the world's electricity, in part because its power can cost homeowners twice as much as power from the grid.
But costs could fall 40 percent in the next few years as polysilicon becomes more available, Sawin said,
More than a dozen companies in Europe, China, Japan, and the United States will boost production over the next few years of purified polysilicon, which helps panels convert sunlight into electricity, and is the main ingredient in semiconductor computer chips, according to the report.
Polysilicon's feedstock is abundantly available sand. But a downturn in silicon refining after the high-tech bubble collapse in the late 1990s has constrained the panel market.
In some of the world's sunniest places, like California, electricity from solar panels costs the same as power from the grid. A drop in solar panel prices could expand that to places that only get average sunlight, making solar more of a mainstream choice, Sawin said in an e-mail.
Last year, China passed the United States to become the world's third largest producer of solar panels, trailing only Germany and Japan.
"To say that Chinese PV producers plan to expand production rapidly in the year ahead would be an understatement," Travis Bradford, president of the Prometheus Institute, a Massachusetts-based group that promotes renewables, said in a release.
"They have raised billions from international IPOs to build capacity and increase scale with the goal of driving down costs," said Bradford, who helped write the report.
But costs could fall 40 percent in the next few years as polysilicon becomes more available, Sawin said,
More than a dozen companies in Europe, China, Japan, and the United States will boost production over the next few years of purified polysilicon, which helps panels convert sunlight into electricity, and is the main ingredient in semiconductor computer chips, according to the report.
Polysilicon's feedstock is abundantly available sand. But a downturn in silicon refining after the high-tech bubble collapse in the late 1990s has constrained the panel market.
In some of the world's sunniest places, like California, electricity from solar panels costs the same as power from the grid. A drop in solar panel prices could expand that to places that only get average sunlight, making solar more of a mainstream choice, Sawin said in an e-mail.
Last year, China passed the United States to become the world's third largest producer of solar panels, trailing only Germany and Japan.
"To say that Chinese PV producers plan to expand production rapidly in the year ahead would be an understatement," Travis Bradford, president of the Prometheus Institute, a Massachusetts-based group that promotes renewables, said in a release.
"They have raised billions from international IPOs to build capacity and increase scale with the goal of driving down costs," said Bradford, who helped write the report.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Amateur Yacht Research Society - Down Wind Faster Than the Wind
Amateur Yacht Research Society - Down Wind Faster Than the Wind
interesting how can this principle be adapted to roadsters?
Can a wind powered vehicle sail faster than the wind? Yes - it can!"The key point is that the propeller is a propeller, not a wind vane, and when the cart is rolling, the wheels are powering the propeller, not the other way around. With the right gearing, the propeller will always push backwards against the air, whether or not the air is moving forwards or backwards relative to the cart. The tailwind and the propeller action combine to make the wheels spin fast enough to keep the whole system rolling faster than the wind". Definitely counter-intuitive."(Jack Goodman) More info at the Journal
interesting how can this principle be adapted to roadsters?
Can a wind powered vehicle sail faster than the wind? Yes - it can!"The key point is that the propeller is a propeller, not a wind vane, and when the cart is rolling, the wheels are powering the propeller, not the other way around. With the right gearing, the propeller will always push backwards against the air, whether or not the air is moving forwards or backwards relative to the cart. The tailwind and the propeller action combine to make the wheels spin fast enough to keep the whole system rolling faster than the wind". Definitely counter-intuitive."(Jack Goodman) More info at the Journal
Amateur Yacht Research Society - Down Wind Faster Than the Wind
Amateur Yacht Research Society - Down Wind Faster Than the Wind
interesting how can this principle be adapted to roadsters?
Can a wind powered vehicle sail faster than the wind? Yes - it can!"The key point is that the propeller is a propeller, not a wind vane, and when the cart is rolling, the wheels are powering the propeller, not the other way around. With the right gearing, the propeller will always push backwards against the air, whether or not the air is moving forwards or backwards relative to the cart. The tailwind and the propeller action combine to make the wheels spin fast enough to keep the whole system rolling faster than the wind". Definitely counter-intuitive."(Jack Goodman) More info at the Journal
interesting how can this principle be adapted to roadsters?
Can a wind powered vehicle sail faster than the wind? Yes - it can!"The key point is that the propeller is a propeller, not a wind vane, and when the cart is rolling, the wheels are powering the propeller, not the other way around. With the right gearing, the propeller will always push backwards against the air, whether or not the air is moving forwards or backwards relative to the cart. The tailwind and the propeller action combine to make the wheels spin fast enough to keep the whole system rolling faster than the wind". Definitely counter-intuitive."(Jack Goodman) More info at the Journal
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
WNYC - News - Tidal Power: Can the East River Generate Electricity?
WNYC - News - Tidal Power: Can the East River Generate Electricity?: "Tidal Power: Can the East River Generate Electricity?
by Beth Fertig
Listen Download MP3
NEW YORK, NY April 05, 2007 —Approximately 14 percent of all electrical power in New York State comes from hydropower. Many environmentalists believe that figure should be higher. They see hydropower as a way of reducing our reliance on the fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. In our ongoing series on how the New York region is preparing for climate change, WNYC’s Beth Fertig looks at one small company that’s now experimenting with a new form of hydro-electric power right in the East River.
CORREN: The turbines actually turn very slowly. They’re five meters in diameter - that’s 16.4 feet - and they turn at about 34 RPM. Quite stately is my term for it. Also leading edges are very rounded and blunt. Also the inner part turns very slowly. So there’s only a very small area that could actually hurt fish if they were to hit it.
REPORTER: And those tests are just beginning. In a former shipping container that’s been turned into a control room, Verdant has spent several months already studying the habits of East River wildlife. Analyst Hannah Abend uses her computer to look at underwater images captured by a different sonar device last year.
"
by Beth Fertig
Listen Download MP3
NEW YORK, NY April 05, 2007 —Approximately 14 percent of all electrical power in New York State comes from hydropower. Many environmentalists believe that figure should be higher. They see hydropower as a way of reducing our reliance on the fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. In our ongoing series on how the New York region is preparing for climate change, WNYC’s Beth Fertig looks at one small company that’s now experimenting with a new form of hydro-electric power right in the East River.
CORREN: The turbines actually turn very slowly. They’re five meters in diameter - that’s 16.4 feet - and they turn at about 34 RPM. Quite stately is my term for it. Also leading edges are very rounded and blunt. Also the inner part turns very slowly. So there’s only a very small area that could actually hurt fish if they were to hit it.
REPORTER: And those tests are just beginning. In a former shipping container that’s been turned into a control room, Verdant has spent several months already studying the habits of East River wildlife. Analyst Hannah Abend uses her computer to look at underwater images captured by a different sonar device last year.
"
Monday, April 02, 2007
GreenBiz News | Waste-to-Energy Plants Could Replace Incinerators
GreenBiz News | Waste-to-Energy Plants Could Replace Incinerators: "
Printer-friendly version | Email this document
Waste-to-Energy Plants Could Replace Incinerators
Source: Edie News
LONDON, Apr. 2, 2007 -- Cutting edge waste-to-energy plants that are smaller and cleaner than incinerators could soon hit the U.K. market, ending the need for polluting incinerator projects.
The plants run a new process that transforms non-recyclable waste into a clean syn-gas, used to generate clean power and a high-strength building material, with the plant itself powered by the syn-gas it produces.
Carbon-neutral and very low in emissions with plants around a third of the size of incinerators, the Gasplasma process can compete with incinerators on a number of counts, according to Andrew Hamilton, CEO of Advanced Plasma Power, the company that patented the process.
'The trick here for us has been the combination of gasification and plasma. The benefit of combining these two existing technologies is that you substantially reduce the power requirements, and that transforms the economics of the process,' Hamilton said.
'You will get some CO2 coming out but a half to two-thirds of the waste is biodegradable, so it's carbon neutral,' he said, adding that the process beats incineration when it comes to the carbon balance.
The process has passed tests in a pilot plant with flying colors and is now ready to be implemented on larger scale, he said. Numerous advantages over incinerators include size, a major selling point as the 50-foot-high plant takes up around a third of the space needed for an incinerator.
'Because it's got a small building footprint with a low profile building and small stack, and it's very clean, it is very suitable for urban"
Printer-friendly version | Email this document
Waste-to-Energy Plants Could Replace Incinerators
Source: Edie News
LONDON, Apr. 2, 2007 -- Cutting edge waste-to-energy plants that are smaller and cleaner than incinerators could soon hit the U.K. market, ending the need for polluting incinerator projects.
The plants run a new process that transforms non-recyclable waste into a clean syn-gas, used to generate clean power and a high-strength building material, with the plant itself powered by the syn-gas it produces.
Carbon-neutral and very low in emissions with plants around a third of the size of incinerators, the Gasplasma process can compete with incinerators on a number of counts, according to Andrew Hamilton, CEO of Advanced Plasma Power, the company that patented the process.
'The trick here for us has been the combination of gasification and plasma. The benefit of combining these two existing technologies is that you substantially reduce the power requirements, and that transforms the economics of the process,' Hamilton said.
'You will get some CO2 coming out but a half to two-thirds of the waste is biodegradable, so it's carbon neutral,' he said, adding that the process beats incineration when it comes to the carbon balance.
The process has passed tests in a pilot plant with flying colors and is now ready to be implemented on larger scale, he said. Numerous advantages over incinerators include size, a major selling point as the 50-foot-high plant takes up around a third of the space needed for an incinerator.
'Because it's got a small building footprint with a low profile building and small stack, and it's very clean, it is very suitable for urban"
Friday, March 30, 2007
globeandmail.com: 'Green' vehicle technology to get financing from Ontario
globeandmail.com: 'Green' vehicle technology to get financing from Ontario: "Developing new technologies that are environmentally friendly is expensive and risky for auto makers, as GM found out with the first electric car, which it developed for sale in the 1990s, but which turned out to be a bust.
Because of those risks, the U.S. government and the European Union have offered hundreds of millions of dollars to their auto industries to help develop green technologies. The U.S. Energy Department helps finance FreedomCAR, which is an attempt to build zero-emission cars and trucks that don't use petroleum.
The Canadian Auto Workers union has called for a mandatory 25-per-cent improvement in the fuel efficiency of vehicles by 2013.
The CAW has also suggested incentives for drivers to get older, more heavily polluting cars off the roads, a measure that Ottawa put in place in last week's federal budget.
But such a program needs to be more comprehensive, so that older vehicles aren't just junked, but the materials in them are recycled, CAW president Buzz Hargrove said.
And $36-million promised by Ottawa isn't nearly enough money, Mr. Hargrove said."
Because of those risks, the U.S. government and the European Union have offered hundreds of millions of dollars to their auto industries to help develop green technologies. The U.S. Energy Department helps finance FreedomCAR, which is an attempt to build zero-emission cars and trucks that don't use petroleum.
The Canadian Auto Workers union has called for a mandatory 25-per-cent improvement in the fuel efficiency of vehicles by 2013.
The CAW has also suggested incentives for drivers to get older, more heavily polluting cars off the roads, a measure that Ottawa put in place in last week's federal budget.
But such a program needs to be more comprehensive, so that older vehicles aren't just junked, but the materials in them are recycled, CAW president Buzz Hargrove said.
And $36-million promised by Ottawa isn't nearly enough money, Mr. Hargrove said."
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Sugar-fueled battery could power portable electronics
Sugar-fueled battery could power portable electronics: "Sugar-fueled battery could power portable electronics
Author: Newswise
Juicing up your cell phone or iPod may take on a whole new meaning in the future. Researchers at Saint Louis University in Missouri have developed a fuel cell battery that runs on virtually any sugar source — from soft drinks to tree sap — and has the potential to operate three to four times longer on a single charge than conventional lithium-ion batteries, they say.
For consumers, that could mean significantly longer time to talk and play music between charges. The new battery, which is also biodegradable, could eventually replace lithium ion batteries in many portable electronic applications, including computers, the scientists say. Their findings were described March 25 at the 233rd national meeting of the American Chemical Society.
“This study shows that renewable fuels can be directly employed in batteries at room temperature to lead to more energy-efficient battery technology than metal-based approaches,” says study leader Shelley Minteer, Ph.D., an electrochemist at Saint Louis University. “It demonstrates that by bridging biology and chemistry, we can build a better battery that’s also cleaner for the environment.”
Using sugar for fuel is not a new concept: Sugar in the form of glucose supplies the energy needs of all living things. While nature has figured out how to harness this energy efficiently, scientists only recently have learned how to unleash the energy-dense power of sugar to produce electricity, Minteer says.
A few other researchers also have developed fuel cell batteries that run on sugar, but Minteer claims that he"
Author: Newswise
Juicing up your cell phone or iPod may take on a whole new meaning in the future. Researchers at Saint Louis University in Missouri have developed a fuel cell battery that runs on virtually any sugar source — from soft drinks to tree sap — and has the potential to operate three to four times longer on a single charge than conventional lithium-ion batteries, they say.
For consumers, that could mean significantly longer time to talk and play music between charges. The new battery, which is also biodegradable, could eventually replace lithium ion batteries in many portable electronic applications, including computers, the scientists say. Their findings were described March 25 at the 233rd national meeting of the American Chemical Society.
“This study shows that renewable fuels can be directly employed in batteries at room temperature to lead to more energy-efficient battery technology than metal-based approaches,” says study leader Shelley Minteer, Ph.D., an electrochemist at Saint Louis University. “It demonstrates that by bridging biology and chemistry, we can build a better battery that’s also cleaner for the environment.”
Using sugar for fuel is not a new concept: Sugar in the form of glucose supplies the energy needs of all living things. While nature has figured out how to harness this energy efficiently, scientists only recently have learned how to unleash the energy-dense power of sugar to produce electricity, Minteer says.
A few other researchers also have developed fuel cell batteries that run on sugar, but Minteer claims that he"
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
A New Battery Takes Off in a Race to Electric Cars - New York Times
A New Battery Takes Off in a Race to Electric Cars - New York Times: "A123Systems, a start-up in Watertown, Mass., says it has created a powerful, safe, long-lived battery. If the cell fulfills the ambitions of its maker, that softer sound will be the future of automobiles.
To date, all-electric vehicles have failed because their batteries were inadequate. General Motors’ futuristic EV1 car of the late 1990s was doted upon by environmentally conscious drivers who admired its innovative engineering, but because the car used large, primitive nickel metal hydride batteries, its range was limited, its acceleration degraded as the batteries weakened with age, and its two-seat layout was not very comfortable for big, corn-fed North Americans.
“The problem came down to usability,” said Nick Zelenski, G.M.’s chief vehicle engineer. “You had to plan your life around when you were going to charge the EV1.” G.M. built only 1,117 of the experimental cars because it believed that American drivers would not buy such an affront to the national ideal of the open road. "
To date, all-electric vehicles have failed because their batteries were inadequate. General Motors’ futuristic EV1 car of the late 1990s was doted upon by environmentally conscious drivers who admired its innovative engineering, but because the car used large, primitive nickel metal hydride batteries, its range was limited, its acceleration degraded as the batteries weakened with age, and its two-seat layout was not very comfortable for big, corn-fed North Americans.
“The problem came down to usability,” said Nick Zelenski, G.M.’s chief vehicle engineer. “You had to plan your life around when you were going to charge the EV1.” G.M. built only 1,117 of the experimental cars because it believed that American drivers would not buy such an affront to the national ideal of the open road. "
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
BSRNews » Reflections » Biomass Energy
A useful summary of alterntive energy sources
BSRNews » Reflections » Biomass Energy: programs; the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimated that by 2010, 4% of U.S. transportation fuel could be made from biomass, and that energy crops and crop residue could supply 14% of domestic energy demand.
Reflections » Biomass EnergyFebruary 13, 2007
Topics » Alternative Energy, Biofuel, CO2 Emissions
Save Discuss Print
There are a number of renewable sources that can be used for energy production, and one of the most abundant sources is also one of the least popular commercially. Biomass, or waste materials ranging from sewage and manure to landfill garbage and agricultural waste, can be processed or burned to generate power, and the technology needed to do this is being developed and implemented in a variety of places and ways. Biomass is currently used to generate approximately 3% of the energy consumed in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration. Estimates of the potential energy that could be produced using biomass vary and depend on agricultural forecasts and industrial waste reduction programs; the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimated that by 2010, 4% of U.S. transportation fuel could be made from biomass, and that energy crops and crop residue could supply 14% of domestic energy demand.
FuelWaste material is most commonly discussed as a source for cellulosic ethanol. Cellulose is a primary component of plant matter that is difficult to ferment directly. Therefore, ethanol is currently made from only the plant parts that contain simple sugars; in the U.S., corn kernels are used. Cellulosic ethanol is not yet commercially produced, but the technology to do so is being developed by a number of public and private organizations. A few companies, like Dyadic International, Inc., are developing enzymes and bacteria that will break down cellulose for fermentation into ethanol. When these techniques can be used economically on a commercial scale, corn stalks and waste plant material from the timber and agriculture industries could also be used to make ethanol.
Waste products can be used to make traditional ethanol as well, but this practice is not widely implemented because these waste sources are not found in large concentrations and don't lend themselves to commercial-scale conversion. Coors Brewing Company refines residuals from the beer brewing process into 3 million gallons of ethanol annually. North Carolina State University has been researching the possibility of converting pig waste to ethanol using steam gasification methods. A Wisconsin company has also recently found a method for converting cheese waste into ethanol. It is technically possible to convert just about any substance containing sugar into ethanol, but it is only economically feasible for companies like Coors that can make their operations self-sufficient.
Biodiesel is made from waste products more often than ethanol is, but like the production of ethanol from common waste sources, large-scale biodiesel production is hampered by the fact that waste sources are scattered and moving the different feedstocks to one place can be very expensive. Used cooking oil is the most popular waste source for biodiesel production; most recycled oil comes from restaurants, though other sources are available. Arizona-based Grecycle holds an annual "grease recycling drive" after Thanksgiving to collect used cooking oil from residences, and a Missouri-based diesel plant uses waste from a nearby turkey processing plant to manufacture biodiesel.
Methane, which can be combined with oil to produce biodiesel, can be found in greater quantities than used cooking oil and some of the other material used to make biodiesel. Methane can be derived from a variety of waste sources, with landfills the most popular. Methane makes up about 50% of the gas emitted from landfill sites as a natural by-product of the decomposition of organic material; extracting the gas involves drilling a series of wells within the landfill and constructing a vacuum system that captures the gas. Agriculture giant Cargill Incorporated plans to use this system to convert methane emissions from a landfill to biodiesel at a new plant in Iowa.
The use of landfill gas is beneficial in that it prevents methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, from entering the atmosphere; landfills account for 13% of the methane emitted worldwide. There are drawbacks to using landfill gas, one of which is the emission of nitrogen oxides that results from the combustion of landfill gas. The use of methane from landfills is not widely practiced, so regulations regarding its use are widely varied and very little governmental support is currently available.
Extracting methane is not the only way that waste products can be used to generate fuel. Japanese scientists at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology have extracted gasoline from cow manure by subjecting the manure to high pressure and temperature while applying a catalyst; no details have been disclosed. This technology is expected to be introduced to the commercial market by 2011.
PowerMethane can also be refined into natural gas and used for other power applications, including electricity production. An increasingly popular source of methane for power generation is manure, most commonly from dairy cows; anaerobic digesters are used to break the manure down until methane is released. In Vermont, the Central Vermont Public Service's Cow Power program allows customers to purchase power generated using local farm waste. Pacific Gas & Electric Company, the utility subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), plans to buy 8,000 Dth/d of natural gas produced from cow manure to fuel some of its power plants. And utility companies aren't the only ones using manure as a power source: methane from manure is being used by a growing number of industries to generate power. Ethanol plants being planned in Nebraska and Indiana will use cow manure to power the ethanol production. Feedlots will be included in the refinery complex so that transportation of the manure will be inexpensive; completing the cycle, cows in the feedlot will be fed a by-product of the ethanol production process.
Cows are not the only group providing power-generating manure; methane can be extracted from all kinds of manure. The Munich zoo uses waste from the animals to provide power to zoo facilities. Reynolds, Indiana, plans to remove itself from the power grid and use pig manure as a power source instead. There are a number of pig farms near Reynolds and each pig produces seven gallons of manure each day; this amount of manure could be used to produce about 3.2 MW of power, which is more than Reynolds consumes. Dogs are also making a contribution; a garbage company in San Francisco is testing the feasibility of using dog waste collected from area parks to generate power. Any place where manure is collected in large amounts can provide a renewable energy source.
According to Environmental Power Corporation (AMEX:EPG), a company that produces manure power, the potential U.S. market for manure gas is over 250 million BOE per year. EPG estimates that 875 cows produce enough methane to provide power to about 600 homes. The conversion process also produces useful by-products, including pathogen-free livestock bedding and seed-free fertilizer. Another benefit to using manure to generate power rather than letting it decompose in a heap lies in the fact that the methane released into the atmosphere as the manure breaks down is a greenhouse gas 21 times stronger than carbon dioxide. Capturing and burning the methane to generate power prevents its emission; as a result, some farmers who contribute manure to power generation have been able to increase their income by selling greenhouse gas emissions credits on voluntary greenhouse gas markets.
Opponents of manure power point out that it is only economically competitive with fossil fuels when the manure comes from very large, industrial farms, where the manure is stored in large piles or pools that can pollute ground water and streams. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has said that large livestock operations create environmental and human health hazards that are not created by smaller farms, negating some of the environmental benefits of using the manure in the first place. However, transporting manure from a number of smaller farms to a centralized location for processing is not economically feasible. For this reason, manure power may remain a local supplement to the grid rather than a large-scale source of energy.
Another waste source of energy is industrial and agricultural waste, which can be burned directly to create heat or generate electricity. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, biomass can replace up to 20% of the coal burned in boilers at coal-fired power plants; the process, called co-firing, reduces power plants' operating costs and emissions. Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE:LNT) began testing the co-firing of switchgrass at its Iowa facility in 2005 with help from the DOE; the tests were so successful that Alliant built a permanent biomass processing facility at the site.
HeatAnimal waste can also be used to generate heat. The city of Oslo, Norway, uses raw sewage to heat some residences; a refrigerant sucks heat from the sewage and transfers it to a 250-mile network of hot water pipes that run under the city. Augmented by plants that burn industrial waste, the sewage raises the water temperature 38 degrees Celsius. Oslo's system illustrates the use of biomass power from a number of sources, rather than just one; while this increases complexity, it also increases the resilience of the system since it is no longer dependent on just one energy source.
ConclusionThe number of different waste materials that can be used to generate power seems endless, but the creation of biomass energy is not more widespread because the cost of transporting the waste to commercial production centers is often prohibitive. Biomass contains less energy per pound than fossil fuels, so shipping raw biomass more than 50 miles uses more energy than the biomass will provide. Biomass is best suited for small-scale, local power generation where the feedstock is essentially free and the cost of transporting it is negligible. While biomass energy may never be able to meet global energy demand, it can be used in a variety of ways to supplement the grid; in smaller communities, biomass power plants can be custom-designed to meet the area's energy demand in a self-sustaining manner with no concern that the input will run out. After all, waste is everywhere.
SourcesEnergy Information Administration. "U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source." Energy Information Administration. U.S. Department of Energy. Accessed 21 January 2007. http://www.eia.doe.gov
BSRNews » Reflections » Biomass Energy: programs; the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimated that by 2010, 4% of U.S. transportation fuel could be made from biomass, and that energy crops and crop residue could supply 14% of domestic energy demand.
Reflections » Biomass EnergyFebruary 13, 2007
Topics » Alternative Energy, Biofuel, CO2 Emissions
Save Discuss Print
There are a number of renewable sources that can be used for energy production, and one of the most abundant sources is also one of the least popular commercially. Biomass, or waste materials ranging from sewage and manure to landfill garbage and agricultural waste, can be processed or burned to generate power, and the technology needed to do this is being developed and implemented in a variety of places and ways. Biomass is currently used to generate approximately 3% of the energy consumed in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration. Estimates of the potential energy that could be produced using biomass vary and depend on agricultural forecasts and industrial waste reduction programs; the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimated that by 2010, 4% of U.S. transportation fuel could be made from biomass, and that energy crops and crop residue could supply 14% of domestic energy demand.
FuelWaste material is most commonly discussed as a source for cellulosic ethanol. Cellulose is a primary component of plant matter that is difficult to ferment directly. Therefore, ethanol is currently made from only the plant parts that contain simple sugars; in the U.S., corn kernels are used. Cellulosic ethanol is not yet commercially produced, but the technology to do so is being developed by a number of public and private organizations. A few companies, like Dyadic International, Inc., are developing enzymes and bacteria that will break down cellulose for fermentation into ethanol. When these techniques can be used economically on a commercial scale, corn stalks and waste plant material from the timber and agriculture industries could also be used to make ethanol.
Waste products can be used to make traditional ethanol as well, but this practice is not widely implemented because these waste sources are not found in large concentrations and don't lend themselves to commercial-scale conversion. Coors Brewing Company refines residuals from the beer brewing process into 3 million gallons of ethanol annually. North Carolina State University has been researching the possibility of converting pig waste to ethanol using steam gasification methods. A Wisconsin company has also recently found a method for converting cheese waste into ethanol. It is technically possible to convert just about any substance containing sugar into ethanol, but it is only economically feasible for companies like Coors that can make their operations self-sufficient.
Biodiesel is made from waste products more often than ethanol is, but like the production of ethanol from common waste sources, large-scale biodiesel production is hampered by the fact that waste sources are scattered and moving the different feedstocks to one place can be very expensive. Used cooking oil is the most popular waste source for biodiesel production; most recycled oil comes from restaurants, though other sources are available. Arizona-based Grecycle holds an annual "grease recycling drive" after Thanksgiving to collect used cooking oil from residences, and a Missouri-based diesel plant uses waste from a nearby turkey processing plant to manufacture biodiesel.
Methane, which can be combined with oil to produce biodiesel, can be found in greater quantities than used cooking oil and some of the other material used to make biodiesel. Methane can be derived from a variety of waste sources, with landfills the most popular. Methane makes up about 50% of the gas emitted from landfill sites as a natural by-product of the decomposition of organic material; extracting the gas involves drilling a series of wells within the landfill and constructing a vacuum system that captures the gas. Agriculture giant Cargill Incorporated plans to use this system to convert methane emissions from a landfill to biodiesel at a new plant in Iowa.
The use of landfill gas is beneficial in that it prevents methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, from entering the atmosphere; landfills account for 13% of the methane emitted worldwide. There are drawbacks to using landfill gas, one of which is the emission of nitrogen oxides that results from the combustion of landfill gas. The use of methane from landfills is not widely practiced, so regulations regarding its use are widely varied and very little governmental support is currently available.
Extracting methane is not the only way that waste products can be used to generate fuel. Japanese scientists at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology have extracted gasoline from cow manure by subjecting the manure to high pressure and temperature while applying a catalyst; no details have been disclosed. This technology is expected to be introduced to the commercial market by 2011.
PowerMethane can also be refined into natural gas and used for other power applications, including electricity production. An increasingly popular source of methane for power generation is manure, most commonly from dairy cows; anaerobic digesters are used to break the manure down until methane is released. In Vermont, the Central Vermont Public Service's Cow Power program allows customers to purchase power generated using local farm waste. Pacific Gas & Electric Company, the utility subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), plans to buy 8,000 Dth/d of natural gas produced from cow manure to fuel some of its power plants. And utility companies aren't the only ones using manure as a power source: methane from manure is being used by a growing number of industries to generate power. Ethanol plants being planned in Nebraska and Indiana will use cow manure to power the ethanol production. Feedlots will be included in the refinery complex so that transportation of the manure will be inexpensive; completing the cycle, cows in the feedlot will be fed a by-product of the ethanol production process.
Cows are not the only group providing power-generating manure; methane can be extracted from all kinds of manure. The Munich zoo uses waste from the animals to provide power to zoo facilities. Reynolds, Indiana, plans to remove itself from the power grid and use pig manure as a power source instead. There are a number of pig farms near Reynolds and each pig produces seven gallons of manure each day; this amount of manure could be used to produce about 3.2 MW of power, which is more than Reynolds consumes. Dogs are also making a contribution; a garbage company in San Francisco is testing the feasibility of using dog waste collected from area parks to generate power. Any place where manure is collected in large amounts can provide a renewable energy source.
According to Environmental Power Corporation (AMEX:EPG), a company that produces manure power, the potential U.S. market for manure gas is over 250 million BOE per year. EPG estimates that 875 cows produce enough methane to provide power to about 600 homes. The conversion process also produces useful by-products, including pathogen-free livestock bedding and seed-free fertilizer. Another benefit to using manure to generate power rather than letting it decompose in a heap lies in the fact that the methane released into the atmosphere as the manure breaks down is a greenhouse gas 21 times stronger than carbon dioxide. Capturing and burning the methane to generate power prevents its emission; as a result, some farmers who contribute manure to power generation have been able to increase their income by selling greenhouse gas emissions credits on voluntary greenhouse gas markets.
Opponents of manure power point out that it is only economically competitive with fossil fuels when the manure comes from very large, industrial farms, where the manure is stored in large piles or pools that can pollute ground water and streams. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has said that large livestock operations create environmental and human health hazards that are not created by smaller farms, negating some of the environmental benefits of using the manure in the first place. However, transporting manure from a number of smaller farms to a centralized location for processing is not economically feasible. For this reason, manure power may remain a local supplement to the grid rather than a large-scale source of energy.
Another waste source of energy is industrial and agricultural waste, which can be burned directly to create heat or generate electricity. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, biomass can replace up to 20% of the coal burned in boilers at coal-fired power plants; the process, called co-firing, reduces power plants' operating costs and emissions. Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE:LNT) began testing the co-firing of switchgrass at its Iowa facility in 2005 with help from the DOE; the tests were so successful that Alliant built a permanent biomass processing facility at the site.
HeatAnimal waste can also be used to generate heat. The city of Oslo, Norway, uses raw sewage to heat some residences; a refrigerant sucks heat from the sewage and transfers it to a 250-mile network of hot water pipes that run under the city. Augmented by plants that burn industrial waste, the sewage raises the water temperature 38 degrees Celsius. Oslo's system illustrates the use of biomass power from a number of sources, rather than just one; while this increases complexity, it also increases the resilience of the system since it is no longer dependent on just one energy source.
ConclusionThe number of different waste materials that can be used to generate power seems endless, but the creation of biomass energy is not more widespread because the cost of transporting the waste to commercial production centers is often prohibitive. Biomass contains less energy per pound than fossil fuels, so shipping raw biomass more than 50 miles uses more energy than the biomass will provide. Biomass is best suited for small-scale, local power generation where the feedstock is essentially free and the cost of transporting it is negligible. While biomass energy may never be able to meet global energy demand, it can be used in a variety of ways to supplement the grid; in smaller communities, biomass power plants can be custom-designed to meet the area's energy demand in a self-sustaining manner with no concern that the input will run out. After all, waste is everywhere.
SourcesEnergy Information Administration. "U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source." Energy Information Administration. U.S. Department of Energy. Accessed 21 January 2007. http://www.eia.doe.gov
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Green Car Congress: Researchers Use Ultrasonic Processing for Fast Biodiesel Production
Green Car Congress: Researchers Use Ultrasonic Processing for Fast Biodiesel Production: "Home Topics Monthly Archives Resources Google
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Researchers Use Ultrasonic Processing for Fast Biodiesel Production
26 February 2007
An example of inline ultrasonic processing for biodiesel production. Click to enlarge. Source: Hielscher.
Researchers at Mississippi State University report that ultrasonic processing used in biodiesel production delivers a biodiesel yield in excess of 99% in five minutes or less, compared to one hour or more using conventional batch reactor systems. The work is described in the current issue of the journal Energy & Fuels"
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« Delphi Increasing Fuel Handling and Injection System Development to Support Biofuels | Main | Report: DaimlerChrysler Considering All-Stock Sale of Chrysler to GM »
Researchers Use Ultrasonic Processing for Fast Biodiesel Production
26 February 2007
An example of inline ultrasonic processing for biodiesel production. Click to enlarge. Source: Hielscher.
Researchers at Mississippi State University report that ultrasonic processing used in biodiesel production delivers a biodiesel yield in excess of 99% in five minutes or less, compared to one hour or more using conventional batch reactor systems. The work is described in the current issue of the journal Energy & Fuels"
Friday, February 23, 2007
biofuels international
biofuels international: "Biofuels can make a significant contribution to meeting future road-transport energy needs, helping to promote energy diversity and reducing emissions. Biofuels reach 4% of road-fuel use in the Reference Scenario in 2030 and 7% in the Alternative Policy Scenario, up from 1% today. The United States, the European Union and Brazil account for the bulk of the global increase and remain the leading producers and consumers of biofuels in both Scenarios. But rising food demand, which competes with biofuels for existing arable and pasture land, and the need for subsidy in many parts of the world, will constrain the long-term potential for biofuels production using current technology. New biofuels technologies being developed today, notably ligno-cellulosic ethanol, could allow biofuels to play a much bigger role - if major technological and commercial challenges can be overcome. "
Thursday, February 22, 2007
A sunny forecast for hot water | CNET News.com
A sunny forecast for hot water | CNET News.com: "It's a solar power concept that was popular around the time Calvin Coolidge was president--but now it's poised for a comeback.
Solar thermal water heaters, which use solar energy rather than gas or electricity as a power source, could grow in popularity over the next few years, according to analysts and panel installation companies. While the idea has already caught fire in China, it's barely registered a blip in the U.S.
'The idea that we don't have solar thermal is crazy,' said Bill Green, a partner at VantagePoint Venture Partners who specializes in clean technology.
Interest, nonetheless, is beginning to percolate, said Alex Winch, president of Mondial Energy. Mondial installs solar thermal systems in large buildings and then makes its money by reselling the heat generated by them back to the building owner. The Toronto-based company has put systems in 100-unit senior living centers in Canada, and it recently signed letters of intent for installations in a couple of U.S. hotels.
Solar thermal systems can offset gas consumption even in places not known for sunshine, Winch noted. His first project was the Beach Solar Laundromat in Toronto. It's snowy in that city right now, but the system at Beach Solar has generated 382 kilowatts in the past week, according to its online energy meter. "
Solar thermal water heaters, which use solar energy rather than gas or electricity as a power source, could grow in popularity over the next few years, according to analysts and panel installation companies. While the idea has already caught fire in China, it's barely registered a blip in the U.S.
'The idea that we don't have solar thermal is crazy,' said Bill Green, a partner at VantagePoint Venture Partners who specializes in clean technology.
Interest, nonetheless, is beginning to percolate, said Alex Winch, president of Mondial Energy. Mondial installs solar thermal systems in large buildings and then makes its money by reselling the heat generated by them back to the building owner. The Toronto-based company has put systems in 100-unit senior living centers in Canada, and it recently signed letters of intent for installations in a couple of U.S. hotels.
Solar thermal systems can offset gas consumption even in places not known for sunshine, Winch noted. His first project was the Beach Solar Laundromat in Toronto. It's snowy in that city right now, but the system at Beach Solar has generated 382 kilowatts in the past week, according to its online energy meter. "
Monday, February 19, 2007
Winston-Salem Journal | Current Event: University's prototype uses ocean's energy
Winston-Salem Journal | Current Event: University's prototype uses ocean's energy: "Current Event: University's prototype uses ocean's energy
By Kurt Loft
MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
An underwater view shows a ship being loaded with hydrogen, the fuel that could result from the power produced.
(Illustrations courtesy of Florida Atlantic University)
An underwater view shows a ship being loaded with hydrogen, the fuel that could result from the power produced.
A perpetual-motion machine is the stuff of fantasy, but clean, renewable energy sources are within the grasp of societies that marry science, industry and economics.
For years, inventors have dreamed and schemed of tapping power from the ocean, yet nobody has come through with a practical plan. That's the hope of a Florida project that will test the waters on a way to generate electricity from Gulf Stream currents. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton are developing an underwater energy farm that employs a network of turbines secured to the ocean floor. As strong currents turn the turbine props, spinning magnets create electricity and send it to a power plant along the shore.
"The concept is you have turbine blades in the flow of the ocean, much like turbines that harness the wind," said engineer Rick Driscoll, the director of the Florida Center for Excellence in Ocean Energy Technology, a research arm of the university.
"Ocean currents are much slower than the wind, but water is 700 to 800 times denser than air."
By Kurt Loft
MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
An underwater view shows a ship being loaded with hydrogen, the fuel that could result from the power produced.
(Illustrations courtesy of Florida Atlantic University)
An underwater view shows a ship being loaded with hydrogen, the fuel that could result from the power produced.
A perpetual-motion machine is the stuff of fantasy, but clean, renewable energy sources are within the grasp of societies that marry science, industry and economics.
For years, inventors have dreamed and schemed of tapping power from the ocean, yet nobody has come through with a practical plan. That's the hope of a Florida project that will test the waters on a way to generate electricity from Gulf Stream currents. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton are developing an underwater energy farm that employs a network of turbines secured to the ocean floor. As strong currents turn the turbine props, spinning magnets create electricity and send it to a power plant along the shore.
"The concept is you have turbine blades in the flow of the ocean, much like turbines that harness the wind," said engineer Rick Driscoll, the director of the Florida Center for Excellence in Ocean Energy Technology, a research arm of the university.
"Ocean currents are much slower than the wind, but water is 700 to 800 times denser than air."
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Health Policy - Dr. Mike Magee stem cell and cancer issues.
Health Policy - Dr. Mike Magee provides education and insight into health policy and current healthcare issues.: "And lastly, we know that in some circumstances, normal blood stem cells accelerate aging in response to chemotherapy and radiation while the cancer stem cells for some reason are immune.5,6 This means that with each successive treatment, the cancer stem cells may be gaining a competitive advantage. It’s imperative that we gain better understanding of the biologic and clinical consequences of our current therapies and continue to use this knowledge to design new ones.
If there’s anything in this information to ponder, it should be this. One, stem cell biology is critically related to the behavior of human cancers. Two, the eradication of cancer stem cells will be essential to improving survival rates for people with some cancers. Three, it is possible that current approaches to therapy in some cancers may be preferentially benefiting those cancers’ stem cells, which mean future therapies must take this into account. And finally, in the future, just wiping out the bulk of a tumor may not be an adequate measure of success. Rather, we will need to address the core of the problem, which is likely to reside where the cancer stem cells live and thrive."
If there’s anything in this information to ponder, it should be this. One, stem cell biology is critically related to the behavior of human cancers. Two, the eradication of cancer stem cells will be essential to improving survival rates for people with some cancers. Three, it is possible that current approaches to therapy in some cancers may be preferentially benefiting those cancers’ stem cells, which mean future therapies must take this into account. And finally, in the future, just wiping out the bulk of a tumor may not be an adequate measure of success. Rather, we will need to address the core of the problem, which is likely to reside where the cancer stem cells live and thrive."
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Ethanol speculation?
The Right Way to Speculate in Ethanol
By Jeff Clark
Imagine being able to fuel your cars with energy produced from yard waste. All the sticks and clippings from our lawns, parks, and schoolyards could be turned into a renewable source of ethanol.
It can happen. But not in the same way that corn-based ethanol is produced...
The two biggest expenses in the production of corn-based ethanol are the cost of the corn and the cost of the natural gas used in the production process.
But what if you could produce ethanol from widely available and essentially useless resources, like the aforementioned yard clippings and wood chips? And what if one of the byproducts of that process – lignin – could replace natural gas as the heat source in ethanol production? That eliminates the two largest expenses in the production process and creates an economically viable alternative fuel.
Therein lays the promise of cellulosic ethanol.
Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls and the most common organic compound on earth. It's more difficult to break down cellulose to convert it into useable sugars for ethanol production.
Yet, making ethanol from cellulose dramatically expands the types and amount of available material for ethanol production. This includes many materials now regarded as waste requiring disposal, as well as corn stalks, rice straw, wood chips, and "energy crops" of fast-growing trees and grasses.
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Until 2005, companies had no financial motivation to aggressively pursue the production of cellulosic ethanol. But as I pointed out in yesterday's issue, that's all about to change. The increasing price of corn has rendered corn-based ethanol inefficient... and so large agricultural companies such as Archer Daniels Midland are pursuing cellulosic ethanol.
And why not? The government is right there to help with the funding...
The Energy Policy Act, signed into law in August 2005, contains several provisions designed to spur cellulosic ethanol production, including:
A credit-trading program wherein one gallon of cellulosic biomass ethanol or waste-derived ethanol is equal to 2.5 gallons of renewable fuel.
A cellulosic biomass program to produce 250 million gallons in 2013.
A loan-guarantee program that provides up to $250 million for the construction of a cellulosic ethanol facility.
Production incentives to deliver the first billion gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production.
So here we have the potential for a renewable energy product that's made from otherwise useless resources. It's cheap, highly energy efficient, and funded by the government. And there are several terrific speculations on the future fuel
By Jeff Clark
Imagine being able to fuel your cars with energy produced from yard waste. All the sticks and clippings from our lawns, parks, and schoolyards could be turned into a renewable source of ethanol.
It can happen. But not in the same way that corn-based ethanol is produced...
The two biggest expenses in the production of corn-based ethanol are the cost of the corn and the cost of the natural gas used in the production process.
But what if you could produce ethanol from widely available and essentially useless resources, like the aforementioned yard clippings and wood chips? And what if one of the byproducts of that process – lignin – could replace natural gas as the heat source in ethanol production? That eliminates the two largest expenses in the production process and creates an economically viable alternative fuel.
Therein lays the promise of cellulosic ethanol.
Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls and the most common organic compound on earth. It's more difficult to break down cellulose to convert it into useable sugars for ethanol production.
Yet, making ethanol from cellulose dramatically expands the types and amount of available material for ethanol production. This includes many materials now regarded as waste requiring disposal, as well as corn stalks, rice straw, wood chips, and "energy crops" of fast-growing trees and grasses.
---------- Advertisement ----------
Do You Own the World's Most Valuable Asset?
If you do, then you could expect a 100% upside, starting immediately.
Why? Because an interest in this asset is the best way I know to both protect and compound your money at high rates of return over time...
And the best part is: Based on my research, I believe that owning this asset could be as safe as holding a U.S. Treasury bond.
Learn more in my full report.
-----------------------------------
Until 2005, companies had no financial motivation to aggressively pursue the production of cellulosic ethanol. But as I pointed out in yesterday's issue, that's all about to change. The increasing price of corn has rendered corn-based ethanol inefficient... and so large agricultural companies such as Archer Daniels Midland are pursuing cellulosic ethanol.
And why not? The government is right there to help with the funding...
The Energy Policy Act, signed into law in August 2005, contains several provisions designed to spur cellulosic ethanol production, including:
A credit-trading program wherein one gallon of cellulosic biomass ethanol or waste-derived ethanol is equal to 2.5 gallons of renewable fuel.
A cellulosic biomass program to produce 250 million gallons in 2013.
A loan-guarantee program that provides up to $250 million for the construction of a cellulosic ethanol facility.
Production incentives to deliver the first billion gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production.
So here we have the potential for a renewable energy product that's made from otherwise useless resources. It's cheap, highly energy efficient, and funded by the government. And there are several terrific speculations on the future fuel
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Cleaner and Greener | Technology | Trends | Canadian Business Online
Capture co2 use thepollutant constructively -soundsappealing SH
Cleaner and Greener | Technology | Trends | Canadian Business Online: "The solution to finding both a clean method for generating coal, then storing the carbon dioxide, could come out of important, world-class research now being headed by Malcolm Wilson, director of CO¸ management with the Energy Innovation Network, a research group sponsored by various government, corporate and university bodies, including the University of Regina, where Wilson is based. He says the technologies needed to develop clean coal power are readily available; it's a matter of combining them in a commercially viable way at a cost that society is willing to accept. Much of the work of Wilson and others at the university--home to the International Test Centre for CO¸ Capture, one of only four major research centres in the world devoted to developing such technologies--centres on a pilot project at Boundary Dam Power Station, near Estevan, about a two-hour drive southeast of Regina. There, they are looking for cost-effective ways for generating electricity with clean coal methods, including the capture of carbon dioxide.
The Boundary Dam project uses the post-combustion process. It is slightly less effective than the oxyfuel method for separating CO¸, but one (continued on page 49) (continued from page 46) advantage it does have is that it can be added on to existing coal-fired plants currently using traditional 'dirty' technology. Oxyfuel and coal gasification technology can only be considered if building a new plant is an option.
Wilson says the Boundary Dam project captures about four tonnes of carbon dioxide each day--admittedly only a tiny percentage of the 6,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emitted daily by the power plant. However, he adds that the initiative has shown good results in reducing the cost of"
Cleaner and Greener | Technology | Trends | Canadian Business Online: "The solution to finding both a clean method for generating coal, then storing the carbon dioxide, could come out of important, world-class research now being headed by Malcolm Wilson, director of CO¸ management with the Energy Innovation Network, a research group sponsored by various government, corporate and university bodies, including the University of Regina, where Wilson is based. He says the technologies needed to develop clean coal power are readily available; it's a matter of combining them in a commercially viable way at a cost that society is willing to accept. Much of the work of Wilson and others at the university--home to the International Test Centre for CO¸ Capture, one of only four major research centres in the world devoted to developing such technologies--centres on a pilot project at Boundary Dam Power Station, near Estevan, about a two-hour drive southeast of Regina. There, they are looking for cost-effective ways for generating electricity with clean coal methods, including the capture of carbon dioxide.
The Boundary Dam project uses the post-combustion process. It is slightly less effective than the oxyfuel method for separating CO¸, but one (continued on page 49) (continued from page 46) advantage it does have is that it can be added on to existing coal-fired plants currently using traditional 'dirty' technology. Oxyfuel and coal gasification technology can only be considered if building a new plant is an option.
Wilson says the Boundary Dam project captures about four tonnes of carbon dioxide each day--admittedly only a tiny percentage of the 6,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emitted daily by the power plant. However, he adds that the initiative has shown good results in reducing the cost of"
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Nanoconcrete could cut emissions
Nanoconcrete could cut CO2 emissions
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (UPI) -- U.S. engineers say the answer to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide might rest in nanotechnology. Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers decided to focus on the nanostructure of concrete -- the world's most widely used material. The production of cement, the primary component of concrete, accounts for up to 10 percent of the world's total carbon dioxide emissions, making the process a major contributor to global warming.
The MIT team found the source of concrete's strength and durability lies in the organization of its nanoparticles. "If everything depends on the organizational structure of the nanoparticles that make up concrete, rather than on the material itself, we can conceivably replace it with a material that has concrete's other characteristics -- strength, durability, mass availability and low cost -- but does not release so much CO2 into the atmosphere during manufacture," said engineering Professor Franz-Josef Ulm. Ulm said the research also shows the study of very common materials at the nano scale has great potential for improving materials in ways not yet conceived. The study appears in the January issue of the Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (UPI) -- U.S. engineers say the answer to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide might rest in nanotechnology. Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers decided to focus on the nanostructure of concrete -- the world's most widely used material. The production of cement, the primary component of concrete, accounts for up to 10 percent of the world's total carbon dioxide emissions, making the process a major contributor to global warming.
The MIT team found the source of concrete's strength and durability lies in the organization of its nanoparticles. "If everything depends on the organizational structure of the nanoparticles that make up concrete, rather than on the material itself, we can conceivably replace it with a material that has concrete's other characteristics -- strength, durability, mass availability and low cost -- but does not release so much CO2 into the atmosphere during manufacture," said engineering Professor Franz-Josef Ulm. Ulm said the research also shows the study of very common materials at the nano scale has great potential for improving materials in ways not yet conceived. The study appears in the January issue of the Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids.
Friday, January 26, 2007
RED HERRING | Ethanol Bubble About to Burst?
RED HERRING Ethanol Bubble About to Burst?: "Ethanol Bubble About to Burst?
Survey finds supply could soon outstrip demand if the industry doesn’t fill distribution gaps.
January 22, 2007
By Jennifer Kho
Ethanol could be headed for a bubble if the industry doesn’t make some big changes, according to a report released Monday by Pavilion Technologies.
The software company, which among other things sells ethanol-manufacturing software, commissioned the Internet-based survey from Harris Interactive. It found that only 5 percent of U.S. consumers use biofuels, and 45 percent of drivers don’t understand the difference between biofuels and conventional fuels.
Of the 95 percent who don’t use biofuels today, 57 percent don’t know where to buy them, and 57 percent say they don’t think their car can run on biofuels even though all cars in the United States can use 10 percent blends of ethanol.
These results, along with the fact that less than 1 percent of gas stations carry E85, an 85 percent blend of ethanol, led Pavilion to conclude that supply could soon outstrip demand. That conclusion could serve as a warning for the growing number of investors financing ethanol companies. Ethanol Bubble About to Burst?
Survey finds supply could soon outstrip demand if the industry doesn’t fill distribution gaps.
January 22, 2007
By Jennifer Kho
Ethanol could be headed for a bubble if the industry doesn’t make some big changes, according to a report released Monday by Pavilion Technologies.
The software company, which among other things sells ethanol-manufacturing software, commissioned the Internet-based survey from Harris Interactive. It found that only 5 p"
Survey finds supply could soon outstrip demand if the industry doesn’t fill distribution gaps.
January 22, 2007
By Jennifer Kho
Ethanol could be headed for a bubble if the industry doesn’t make some big changes, according to a report released Monday by Pavilion Technologies.
The software company, which among other things sells ethanol-manufacturing software, commissioned the Internet-based survey from Harris Interactive. It found that only 5 percent of U.S. consumers use biofuels, and 45 percent of drivers don’t understand the difference between biofuels and conventional fuels.
Of the 95 percent who don’t use biofuels today, 57 percent don’t know where to buy them, and 57 percent say they don’t think their car can run on biofuels even though all cars in the United States can use 10 percent blends of ethanol.
These results, along with the fact that less than 1 percent of gas stations carry E85, an 85 percent blend of ethanol, led Pavilion to conclude that supply could soon outstrip demand. That conclusion could serve as a warning for the growing number of investors financing ethanol companies. Ethanol Bubble About to Burst?
Survey finds supply could soon outstrip demand if the industry doesn’t fill distribution gaps.
January 22, 2007
By Jennifer Kho
Ethanol could be headed for a bubble if the industry doesn’t make some big changes, according to a report released Monday by Pavilion Technologies.
The software company, which among other things sells ethanol-manufacturing software, commissioned the Internet-based survey from Harris Interactive. It found that only 5 p"
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Human Slingshot
Human Slingshot
This looks like fun and seems to be safe . As a thrill ride it is worth pursuing out there
This looks like fun and seems to be safe . As a thrill ride it is worth pursuing out there
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
U.S. Energy Biogas Settles Principal Chapter 11 Issue
U.S. Energy Biogas Settles Principal Chapter 11 Issue
U.S. Energy Biogas Settles Principal Chapter 11 Issue
- Agreement Removes Primary Obstacle to USEB’s Reorganization and Enables USEB to Refinance and Exit Chapter 11 -
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. Energy Biogas Corp. (“USEB” or “the Subsidiary”), a U.S.-based renewable energy business, announced today that it has reached an agreement in principle with Countryside Power Income Fund (“Countryside” or “the Fund”) concerning the principal issue in USEB’s Chapter 11 filing in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The agreement will enable USEB and its parent, U.S. Energy Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: USEY), to establish new financing for USEB that should enable it to pay all of its creditors in full, exit bankruptcy quickly, and support the growth of the business for the benefit of USEY’s shareholders. Upon approval of the agreement by the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York overseeing USEB's Chapter 11 reorganization case, as well as each party's respective boards, USEB expects to be able to move immediately toward an expedited confirmation of a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization.
U.S. Energy Biogas Settles Principal Chapter 11 Issue
- Agreement Removes Primary Obstacle to USEB’s Reorganization and Enables USEB to Refinance and Exit Chapter 11 -
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. Energy Biogas Corp. (“USEB” or “the Subsidiary”), a U.S.-based renewable energy business, announced today that it has reached an agreement in principle with Countryside Power Income Fund (“Countryside” or “the Fund”) concerning the principal issue in USEB’s Chapter 11 filing in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The agreement will enable USEB and its parent, U.S. Energy Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: USEY), to establish new financing for USEB that should enable it to pay all of its creditors in full, exit bankruptcy quickly, and support the growth of the business for the benefit of USEY’s shareholders. Upon approval of the agreement by the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York overseeing USEB's Chapter 11 reorganization case, as well as each party's respective boards, USEB expects to be able to move immediately toward an expedited confirmation of a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization.
Friday, December 22, 2006
SunOpta and GreenField Ethanol Create Cellulosic Ethanol Joint Venture
SunOpta and GreenField Ethanol Create Cellulosic Ethanol Joint Venture: "SunOpta and GreenField Ethanol Create Cellulosic Ethanol Joint Venture
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SunOpta Inc. (SunOpta or the Company) (NASDAQ:STKL)(TSX:SOY) today announced that it has signed a joint venture agreement with GreenField Ethanol Inc. (“GreenField”), formerly known as Commercial Alcohols Inc., Canada’s leading producer of fuel ethanol, to develop and implement commercial scale processes for the production of cellulosic ethanol from wood chips, including the planned establishment of one or more commercial scale plants employing the new process.
The first plant is planned to produce 40 million liters (approximately 10 million gallons) of cellulosic ethanol per year, which would be the first commercial scale cellulosic ethanol plant built and operational in the world using wood chips. Greenfield Ethanol and SunOpta are actively involved in selecting a site for the first plant in Ontario or Quebec. Subsequent plants will be in the range of 200 to 400 million liters (approximately 50 to 100 million gallons) per year capacity.
The venture will be owned 50% by GreenField and 50% by SunOpta’s BioProcess Group and will utilize the SunOpta BioProcess Group’s patented and proprietary process solutions for the production of cellulosic ethanol. SunOpta and GreenField Ethanol Create Cellulosic Ethanol Joint Venture
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SunOpta Inc. (SunOpta or the Company) (NASDAQ:STKL)(TSX:SOY) today announced that it has signed a joint venture agreement with GreenFie"
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SunOpta Inc. (SunOpta or the Company) (NASDAQ:STKL)(TSX:SOY) today announced that it has signed a joint venture agreement with GreenField Ethanol Inc. (“GreenField”), formerly known as Commercial Alcohols Inc., Canada’s leading producer of fuel ethanol, to develop and implement commercial scale processes for the production of cellulosic ethanol from wood chips, including the planned establishment of one or more commercial scale plants employing the new process.
The first plant is planned to produce 40 million liters (approximately 10 million gallons) of cellulosic ethanol per year, which would be the first commercial scale cellulosic ethanol plant built and operational in the world using wood chips. Greenfield Ethanol and SunOpta are actively involved in selecting a site for the first plant in Ontario or Quebec. Subsequent plants will be in the range of 200 to 400 million liters (approximately 50 to 100 million gallons) per year capacity.
The venture will be owned 50% by GreenField and 50% by SunOpta’s BioProcess Group and will utilize the SunOpta BioProcess Group’s patented and proprietary process solutions for the production of cellulosic ethanol. SunOpta and GreenField Ethanol Create Cellulosic Ethanol Joint Venture
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SunOpta Inc. (SunOpta or the Company) (NASDAQ:STKL)(TSX:SOY) today announced that it has signed a joint venture agreement with GreenFie"
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
biofuels international
energy future trend?
biofuels international: "Biofuels can make a significant contribution to meeting future road-transport energy needs, helping to promote energy diversity and reducing emissions. Biofuels reach 4% of road-fuel use in the Reference Scenario in 2030 and 7% in the Alternative Policy Scenario, up from 1% today. The United States, the European Union and Brazil account for the bulk of the global increase and remain the leading producers and consumers of biofuels in both Scenarios. But rising food demand, which competes with biofuels for existing arable and pasture land, and the need for subsidy in many parts of the world, will constrain the long-term potential for biofuels production using current technology. New biofuels technologies being developed today, notably ligno-cellulosic ethanol, could allow biofuels to play a much bigger role - if major technological and commercial challenges can be overcome. "
biofuels international: "Biofuels can make a significant contribution to meeting future road-transport energy needs, helping to promote energy diversity and reducing emissions. Biofuels reach 4% of road-fuel use in the Reference Scenario in 2030 and 7% in the Alternative Policy Scenario, up from 1% today. The United States, the European Union and Brazil account for the bulk of the global increase and remain the leading producers and consumers of biofuels in both Scenarios. But rising food demand, which competes with biofuels for existing arable and pasture land, and the need for subsidy in many parts of the world, will constrain the long-term potential for biofuels production using current technology. New biofuels technologies being developed today, notably ligno-cellulosic ethanol, could allow biofuels to play a much bigger role - if major technological and commercial challenges can be overcome. "
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Investing Deirdre MacMurdy - Sympatico / MSN Finance - Reaping rewards from Ottawa's newest obsession
Good news for green innovators
Investing Deirdre MacMurdy - Sympatico / MSN Finance - Reaping rewards from Ottawa's newest obsession: "Reaping rewards from Ottawa's newest obsession
Strange bedfellows: Politics and profits come together on environmental issues
advertisement
By Deirdre McMurdy
December 07, 2006
Politics and financial markets make uneasy bedfellows. It isn't just that stock traders and policy makers are wary of one another, it's the fundamental clash of short-term and long-term perspectives.
That said, for those are able to look beyond the two solitudes and find the points where agendas intersect, there can be some unexpected investment ideas to consider.
A case in point: When Stephane Dion recently won his bid to lead the federal Liberal Party, environmental issues suddenly got a huge shot in the arm.
It's not just that Mr. Dion's policy platform centered on everything green, it's what that focus means to his Opponents.
There's not much question his leadership will pull votes in the upcoming spring election from both the NDP and the Green Party. Both have made aggressive efforts to claim ownership of that file.
But the real traction will come from the fact that in an effort to undermine Mr. Dion and the Liberals, the Tories are likely to ramp up their environmental policies to pre-empt any gains the Liberals might make.
That means that for investors, green has a whole new meaning and companies with leverage to that agenda, are likely to look pretty attractive over the near term.
Federal agriculture minister Chuck Strahl, for example, is expected to make an announcement with respect to the use of alternative fuels in the next couple of months. And Ontario has already legislated that by 2007, all gasoline sold in the province must contain five per cent ethanol, i"
Investing Deirdre MacMurdy - Sympatico / MSN Finance - Reaping rewards from Ottawa's newest obsession: "Reaping rewards from Ottawa's newest obsession
Strange bedfellows: Politics and profits come together on environmental issues
advertisement
By Deirdre McMurdy
December 07, 2006
Politics and financial markets make uneasy bedfellows. It isn't just that stock traders and policy makers are wary of one another, it's the fundamental clash of short-term and long-term perspectives.
That said, for those are able to look beyond the two solitudes and find the points where agendas intersect, there can be some unexpected investment ideas to consider.
A case in point: When Stephane Dion recently won his bid to lead the federal Liberal Party, environmental issues suddenly got a huge shot in the arm.
It's not just that Mr. Dion's policy platform centered on everything green, it's what that focus means to his Opponents.
There's not much question his leadership will pull votes in the upcoming spring election from both the NDP and the Green Party. Both have made aggressive efforts to claim ownership of that file.
But the real traction will come from the fact that in an effort to undermine Mr. Dion and the Liberals, the Tories are likely to ramp up their environmental policies to pre-empt any gains the Liberals might make.
That means that for investors, green has a whole new meaning and companies with leverage to that agenda, are likely to look pretty attractive over the near term.
Federal agriculture minister Chuck Strahl, for example, is expected to make an announcement with respect to the use of alternative fuels in the next couple of months. And Ontario has already legislated that by 2007, all gasoline sold in the province must contain five per cent ethanol, i"
Saturday, December 09, 2006
RED HERRING | Biofuels Smackdown: Algae vs. Soybeans
RED HERRING | Biofuels Smackdown: Algae vs. Soybeans: "Biofuels Smackdown: Algae vs. Soybeans
Industry waters say the ‘Holy Grail’ of feedstocks for biofuels could be years from reality.
December 7, 2006
By Jennifer Kho
While some see algae as the ideal source for biofuels, industry watchers at ThinkEquity’s Greentech Summit in San Francisco on Thursday said the technology is likely to be years away.
“Algae, as a biodiesel feedstock, is further out than cellulosic ethanol,” said Martin Tobias, CEO of biodiesel company Imperium Renewables, referring to ethanol from materials like wood chips, switchgrass, and corn stover.
Algae simply aren’t available in large-enough quantities right now, he said.
“We’re opening a 100-million-gallon facility in June, and there won’t be 100 million gallons of algae available next year,” he said. “It’s not about whether algae can produce oil, but about whether it can meet a standard quantity needed for fuel. It’s going to take longer than anyone wants to say at an investor’s conference. Whereas with farming, we can make a significant replacement of fuel now, with what we have.”Biofuels Smackdown: Algae vs. Soybeans
Industry waters say the ‘Holy Grail’ of feedstocks for biofuels could be years from reality.
December 7, 2006
By Jennifer Kho
While some see algae as the ideal source for biofuels, industry watchers at ThinkEquity’s Greentech Summit in San Francisco on Thursday said the technology is likely to be years away.
“Algae, as a biodiesel feedstock, is further out than cellulosic ethanol,” sa"
Industry waters say the ‘Holy Grail’ of feedstocks for biofuels could be years from reality.
December 7, 2006
By Jennifer Kho
While some see algae as the ideal source for biofuels, industry watchers at ThinkEquity’s Greentech Summit in San Francisco on Thursday said the technology is likely to be years away.
“Algae, as a biodiesel feedstock, is further out than cellulosic ethanol,” said Martin Tobias, CEO of biodiesel company Imperium Renewables, referring to ethanol from materials like wood chips, switchgrass, and corn stover.
Algae simply aren’t available in large-enough quantities right now, he said.
“We’re opening a 100-million-gallon facility in June, and there won’t be 100 million gallons of algae available next year,” he said. “It’s not about whether algae can produce oil, but about whether it can meet a standard quantity needed for fuel. It’s going to take longer than anyone wants to say at an investor’s conference. Whereas with farming, we can make a significant replacement of fuel now, with what we have.”Biofuels Smackdown: Algae vs. Soybeans
Industry waters say the ‘Holy Grail’ of feedstocks for biofuels could be years from reality.
December 7, 2006
By Jennifer Kho
While some see algae as the ideal source for biofuels, industry watchers at ThinkEquity’s Greentech Summit in San Francisco on Thursday said the technology is likely to be years away.
“Algae, as a biodiesel feedstock, is further out than cellulosic ethanol,” sa"
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor
so much for the free health care myth
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Urgent care clinic fee will cut wait times
By Susan Gamble
Local News - Saturday, November 18, 2006 Updated @ 11:59:49 PM
A controversial new program designed to reduce the number of people waiting to see doctors has been launched by the Brantford Urgent Care clinic.
About 2,000 clients of the clinic got a letter at the beginning of the month outlining an extended coverage policy they could purchase that would mean skipping waits to get certain prescription renewals or laboratory tests.
The $90 annual fee was quickly paid by some who want to avoid one- or two-hour waits in the clinic just for prescription refills, but others are upset about the program and wondering if its legal. "
Osprey Media. - Brantford Expositor: "Urgent care clinic fee will cut wait times
By Susan Gamble
Local News - Saturday, November 18, 2006 Updated @ 11:59:49 PM
A controversial new program designed to reduce the number of people waiting to see doctors has been launched by the Brantford Urgent Care clinic.
About 2,000 clients of the clinic got a letter at the beginning of the month outlining an extended coverage policy they could purchase that would mean skipping waits to get certain prescription renewals or laboratory tests.
The $90 annual fee was quickly paid by some who want to avoid one- or two-hour waits in the clinic just for prescription refills, but others are upset about the program and wondering if its legal. "
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Monday, October 09, 2006
Magenn Power Inc. - Home
Magenn Power Inc. - Home: "Floating Wind Generators
The Magenn Power Air Rotor System (MARS) is an innovative lighter-than-air tethered device that rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind, efficiently generating clean renewable electrical energy at a lower cost than all competing systems.
Electrical power generated at the floating Air Rotor is transferred down the tether to ground level equipment. Depending on size of the Air Rotor, power is sent to users ranging from campers to large power grids. Helium (an inert non-flammable lighter-than-air gas) sustains the Air Rotor which ascends to an altitude for best winds. No towers or heavy foundations are necessary and sizes range from small 'backpack' models to large megawatt generating devices.
Due to design simplicity, low capital & operating costs, and higher efficiency, MARS represents a paradigm shift from the standard wind turbines of today. Magenn Power will start a projected billion-dollar business through sales and licensing of its wind generators. Our first step is the development of a 4 KW prototype which the company will demonstrate in the latter part of 2006."
The Magenn Power Air Rotor System (MARS) is an innovative lighter-than-air tethered device that rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind, efficiently generating clean renewable electrical energy at a lower cost than all competing systems.
Electrical power generated at the floating Air Rotor is transferred down the tether to ground level equipment. Depending on size of the Air Rotor, power is sent to users ranging from campers to large power grids. Helium (an inert non-flammable lighter-than-air gas) sustains the Air Rotor which ascends to an altitude for best winds. No towers or heavy foundations are necessary and sizes range from small 'backpack' models to large megawatt generating devices.
Due to design simplicity, low capital & operating costs, and higher efficiency, MARS represents a paradigm shift from the standard wind turbines of today. Magenn Power will start a projected billion-dollar business through sales and licensing of its wind generators. Our first step is the development of a 4 KW prototype which the company will demonstrate in the latter part of 2006."
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Farming for Energy - BusinessWeek Online - MSNBC.com
Farming for Energy - BusinessWeek Online - MSNBC.com: "As oil prices continue to rise, power companies and consumers have started to look elsewhere for their energy needs. Voila: Alternative energy producers are clambering out from the shadow of the oil industry giants, ready for their moment in the sun -- or the wind or the ocean, as it were. Though the trend is worldwide, Europe is a particularly friendly setting for renewable energy these days, both as a center of homegrown innovation and as a theater for overseas investment and development. "
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Power Air Corp | Technology | PAC Fuel Cell
Power Air Corp Technology PAC Fuel Cell: "PAC Fuel Cell
Zinc Air Fuel Cell ('ZAFC')
The ZAFC was developed at the world-renowned DOE Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California. By solving longstanding issues related to power consistency and by making the fuel cell re-fuelable, the scientists at LLNL developed a power generation and storage technology that dramatically changes the competitive landscape for fuel cells. "
Zinc Air Fuel Cell ('ZAFC')
The ZAFC was developed at the world-renowned DOE Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California. By solving longstanding issues related to power consistency and by making the fuel cell re-fuelable, the scientists at LLNL developed a power generation and storage technology that dramatically changes the competitive landscape for fuel cells. "
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Helium inflated wind generator
Interesting new technology
Magenn Power Air Rotor System
An Helium inflated wind generator
http://www.magenn.com/index.php
Monday, September 11, 2006
Sweet new business ideas from around the globe - Money - Browse All Money Articles.
Sweet new business ideas from around the globe - Money - Browse All Money Articles.: "Sweet new business ideas from around the globe
Article By: Cynthia Ross Cravit
Every entrepreneur needs a little inspiration sometimes. Whether you're the head of a start-up, a management consultant, marketing manager, business development director, trend watcher, or anyone else interested in creating or expanding companies, it helps to get a pulse on promising young ventures from around the world. "
Article By: Cynthia Ross Cravit
Every entrepreneur needs a little inspiration sometimes. Whether you're the head of a start-up, a management consultant, marketing manager, business development director, trend watcher, or anyone else interested in creating or expanding companies, it helps to get a pulse on promising young ventures from around the world. "
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Tiny hydrogen racer could lead to big things
Tiny hydrogen racer could lead to big things
Elaine Kurtenbach
The Associated Press
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
1 2 NEXT >>
CREDIT: AP Photo/Elaine Kurtenbach
Taras Wankewycz, founder of Horizon, explains the hydrogen-powered system in Shanghai, China. This month, the company will begin sales in the U.S. and other major markets of a tiny hydrogen fuel cell car, complete with its own solar-powered refueling station, that Wankewycz and his partners say is a step toward making the technology commercially viable for the mass market.
It's a dream that's been pursued for years by governments, energy companies and automakers so far without success: mass-producing affordable hydrogen-powered cars whose tailpipes spew nothing but clean water.
So Shanghai's Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies decided to start small. Really small.
This month, it will begin sales of a tiny hydrogen fuel-cell car, complete with its own miniature solar-powered refuelling station. The toy is a step toward introducing the technology to the public and making it commercially viable.
Elaine Kurtenbach
The Associated Press
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
1 2 NEXT >>
CREDIT: AP Photo/Elaine Kurtenbach
Taras Wankewycz, founder of Horizon, explains the hydrogen-powered system in Shanghai, China. This month, the company will begin sales in the U.S. and other major markets of a tiny hydrogen fuel cell car, complete with its own solar-powered refueling station, that Wankewycz and his partners say is a step toward making the technology commercially viable for the mass market.
It's a dream that's been pursued for years by governments, energy companies and automakers so far without success: mass-producing affordable hydrogen-powered cars whose tailpipes spew nothing but clean water.
So Shanghai's Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies decided to start small. Really small.
This month, it will begin sales of a tiny hydrogen fuel-cell car, complete with its own miniature solar-powered refuelling station. The toy is a step toward introducing the technology to the public and making it commercially viable.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Rinspeed "Splash" sets English Channel record - Autoblog
Rinspeed "Splash" sets English Channel record - Autoblog: "Rinspeed 'Splash' sets English Channel record
Posted Jul 27th 2006 5:59PM by Stuart Waterman
Filed under: Etc."
Posted Jul 27th 2006 5:59PM by Stuart Waterman
Filed under: Etc."
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Selling Power Back to the Grid
Selling Power Back to the Grid: "
Selling Power Back to the Grid
Pioneering individuals and small businesses are using sun, wind�even cow manure�to produce clean electricity and turn a profit
Carl Baldino, a plant manager for a textile finishing company in Philadelphia, is moonlighting as a small-time energy tycoon. In his second job, he's got the kind of overhead most businesspeople can only dream of. His rooftop solar power generation system pays him an extra $3,000 per year on top of producing all the energy he needs to power his New Jersey home for free. The money comes from an emerging market in renewable energy credits (RECs), part of a program in many states where electricity suppliers that are required by law to invest in renewable energy buy tradable certificates from sources like Baldino. It's just one way individuals and small businesses are making money off clean energy. Advertisement
Baldino says he's never made a better investment�especially with today's unstable energy market. 'I don't think I can find anywhere that I can make a return of $3,000 per year [just for having solar power], and that's if the price of energy doesn't go up,' says Baldino. For him, the $12,000 "
Selling Power Back to the Grid
Pioneering individuals and small businesses are using sun, wind�even cow manure�to produce clean electricity and turn a profit
Carl Baldino, a plant manager for a textile finishing company in Philadelphia, is moonlighting as a small-time energy tycoon. In his second job, he's got the kind of overhead most businesspeople can only dream of. His rooftop solar power generation system pays him an extra $3,000 per year on top of producing all the energy he needs to power his New Jersey home for free. The money comes from an emerging market in renewable energy credits (RECs), part of a program in many states where electricity suppliers that are required by law to invest in renewable energy buy tradable certificates from sources like Baldino. It's just one way individuals and small businesses are making money off clean energy. Advertisement
Baldino says he's never made a better investment�especially with today's unstable energy market. 'I don't think I can find anywhere that I can make a return of $3,000 per year [just for having solar power], and that's if the price of energy doesn't go up,' says Baldino. For him, the $12,000 "
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Silicon Valley races to bring electric cars to market
Silicon Valley races to bring electric cars to market: "Silicon Valley thinks it can do what Detroit could not - create a thriving business selling electric cars. In the 1990s, General Motors and other automakers spent billions to develop battery-powered vehicles, but they flopped because most couldn't travel more than 160 kilometres before having to recharge.
By tapping the Bay Area's engineering expertise and culture of innovation, a cluster of entrepreneurs, engineers and venture capitalists are racing to bring electric cars to market. But unlike the Detroit and Japanese automakers, they're working on high-performance sports cars for wealthy car enthusiasts.
At least three Silicon Valley startups - Tesla Motors of San Carlos, Wrightspeed Inc. of Woodside and battery maker
Li-on Cells of Menlo Park - are among a small cadre of U.S. companies developing electric cars.
Some major automakers are also working on electric vehicle technology, but most are focused on hybrid cars that run on a combination of gas and electricity, Pratt said. The success of Toyota's Prius and other hybrids have shown there's a market for eco-friendly cars.
But Tesla's Eberhard thinks the Prius is 'terrifically ugly' and believes other wealthy car enthusiasts feel the same way.
In Tesla's workshop just south of San Francisco, Eberhard and Tarpenning offered a glimpse of their first model - a sleek two-seater called the Roadster that resembles a Lotus Elise - but would not allow photographs. They plan to unveil it next month in Santa Monica.
'We're building a car for people who like to drive,' Eberhard said. 'This is not a punishment car.'"
By tapping the Bay Area's engineering expertise and culture of innovation, a cluster of entrepreneurs, engineers and venture capitalists are racing to bring electric cars to market. But unlike the Detroit and Japanese automakers, they're working on high-performance sports cars for wealthy car enthusiasts.
At least three Silicon Valley startups - Tesla Motors of San Carlos, Wrightspeed Inc. of Woodside and battery maker
Li-on Cells of Menlo Park - are among a small cadre of U.S. companies developing electric cars.
Some major automakers are also working on electric vehicle technology, but most are focused on hybrid cars that run on a combination of gas and electricity, Pratt said. The success of Toyota's Prius and other hybrids have shown there's a market for eco-friendly cars.
But Tesla's Eberhard thinks the Prius is 'terrifically ugly' and believes other wealthy car enthusiasts feel the same way.
In Tesla's workshop just south of San Francisco, Eberhard and Tarpenning offered a glimpse of their first model - a sleek two-seater called the Roadster that resembles a Lotus Elise - but would not allow photographs. They plan to unveil it next month in Santa Monica.
'We're building a car for people who like to drive,' Eberhard said. 'This is not a punishment car.'"
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Better Solar by 2007
Cost and Efficiency
With Stellaris’s technology, solar-power systems can produce the same amount of electricity as other systems, using only one-third of the photovoltaic material, according to Mr. Ward. He predicts the technology will result in an overall cost savings of about 40 percent.
Instead of crystalline solar photovoltaic cells, the concentrators use thin-film solar cells. Thin-film cells contain little or no costly polysilicon, which is especially advantageous during a polysilicon shortage (see Solar’s Going Thin).
Stellaris’s technology is compatible with any thin-film technology, according to Mr. Ward.
Mr. Parker of the Cleantech Venture Network said the technology is interesting, but added that there is a lot of competition in the space. One challenge will be getting warranties for the new technology, as thin-film cells have historically degraded more quickly than crystalline cells, he said.
“It’s a matter of taking a lab test and proving it out in the real world,” he said. “Degradation has been a problem with thin film. It’s got to be plug and play. A concentrator adds a whole new level of complexity, depending on how it’s embedded in the product.”
He believes it may take some time for Stellaris to capitalize on its recent triumph.
“It’s one thing to win a business plan competition, but there’s a lot of pilot work that’s got to be done before this is a successful company,” said Mr. Parker. “There’s a long way to go
With Stellaris’s technology, solar-power systems can produce the same amount of electricity as other systems, using only one-third of the photovoltaic material, according to Mr. Ward. He predicts the technology will result in an overall cost savings of about 40 percent.
Instead of crystalline solar photovoltaic cells, the concentrators use thin-film solar cells. Thin-film cells contain little or no costly polysilicon, which is especially advantageous during a polysilicon shortage (see Solar’s Going Thin).
Stellaris’s technology is compatible with any thin-film technology, according to Mr. Ward.
Mr. Parker of the Cleantech Venture Network said the technology is interesting, but added that there is a lot of competition in the space. One challenge will be getting warranties for the new technology, as thin-film cells have historically degraded more quickly than crystalline cells, he said.
“It’s a matter of taking a lab test and proving it out in the real world,” he said. “Degradation has been a problem with thin film. It’s got to be plug and play. A concentrator adds a whole new level of complexity, depending on how it’s embedded in the product.”
He believes it may take some time for Stellaris to capitalize on its recent triumph.
“It’s one thing to win a business plan competition, but there’s a lot of pilot work that’s got to be done before this is a successful company,” said Mr. Parker. “There’s a long way to go
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Beware of wireless security systems
Gone in 60 seconds--the high-tech version
By Robert Vamosi Senior editor, CNET ReviewsMay 5, 2006
Let's say you just bought a Mercedes S550, a state-of-the-art, high-tech vehicle with an antitheft keyless ignition system. After pulling into a Starbucks to celebrate with a grande latte and a scone while checking your messages on a BlackBerry, a man in a T-shirt and jeans with a laptop sits next to you and starts up a friendly conversation: "Is that the S550? How do you like it so far?" Eager to share, you converse for a few minutes, then the man thanks you and is gone. A moment later you look up to discover your new Mercedes is gone as well. Now, decrypting one 40-bit code sequence can not only disengage the security system and unlock the doors, it can also start the car--making the hack tempting for thieves. The owner of the code is now the true owner of the car. And while high-end, high-tech auto thefts like this are more common in Europe today, they will soon start happening in America. The sad thing is that manufacturers of keyless devices don't seem to care.
By Robert Vamosi Senior editor, CNET ReviewsMay 5, 2006
Let's say you just bought a Mercedes S550, a state-of-the-art, high-tech vehicle with an antitheft keyless ignition system. After pulling into a Starbucks to celebrate with a grande latte and a scone while checking your messages on a BlackBerry, a man in a T-shirt and jeans with a laptop sits next to you and starts up a friendly conversation: "Is that the S550? How do you like it so far?" Eager to share, you converse for a few minutes, then the man thanks you and is gone. A moment later you look up to discover your new Mercedes is gone as well. Now, decrypting one 40-bit code sequence can not only disengage the security system and unlock the doors, it can also start the car--making the hack tempting for thieves. The owner of the code is now the true owner of the car. And while high-end, high-tech auto thefts like this are more common in Europe today, they will soon start happening in America. The sad thing is that manufacturers of keyless devices don't seem to care.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Fast electric car from New Zealand Inventor
A car that could save the planet—fast
Silicon Valley's big brains think they can beat Detroit and Tokyo and save the planet - all while doing 0 to 60 faster than almost anything on the road.
By Michael V. Copeland, Business 2.0 Magazine senior writer
May 5, 2006: 7:25 PM EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Business 2.0 Magazine) - Ian Wright has a car that blows away a Ferrari 360 Spider and a Porsche Carrera GT in drag races, and whose 0-to-60 acceleration time ranks it among the fastest production autos in the world. In fact, it's second only to the French-made Bugatti Veyron, a 1,000-horsepower, 16-cylinder beast that hits 60 mph half a second faster and goes for $1.25 million.
The key difference? The Bugatti gets eight miles per gallon. Wright's car? It runs off an electric battery.
Before creating the X1, Ian Wright designed routers and switches for Digital Equipment and Cisco.
The X1 recently challenged -- and beat -- the Ferrari 360 Spyder (in red) at the Infineon Raceway in northern California.
Play video
Wright, a 50-year-old entrepreneur from New Zealand, thinks his electric car, the X1, can soon be made into a small-production roadster that car fanatics and weekend warriors will happily take home for about $100,000 - a quarter ton of batteries included. He has even launched a startup, called Wrightspeed, to custom-make and sell the cars.
(For a photo gallery of what's under the X1's hood, click here.)
But Wright isn't some quixotic loner. He's part of a growing cluster of engineers, startups, and investors, most of them based in Silicon Valley, that believe they can do what major automakers have failed at for decades: Think beyond the golf cart and deliver an electric vehicle (EV) to the mass market.
Indeed, the race for the new consumer EV has already begun: Just a year ago, Wright was working for his Woodside neighbor Martin Eberhard, co-founder of Tesla Motors, a startup that has 70
Silicon Valley's big brains think they can beat Detroit and Tokyo and save the planet - all while doing 0 to 60 faster than almost anything on the road.
By Michael V. Copeland, Business 2.0 Magazine senior writer
May 5, 2006: 7:25 PM EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Business 2.0 Magazine) - Ian Wright has a car that blows away a Ferrari 360 Spider and a Porsche Carrera GT in drag races, and whose 0-to-60 acceleration time ranks it among the fastest production autos in the world. In fact, it's second only to the French-made Bugatti Veyron, a 1,000-horsepower, 16-cylinder beast that hits 60 mph half a second faster and goes for $1.25 million.
The key difference? The Bugatti gets eight miles per gallon. Wright's car? It runs off an electric battery.
Before creating the X1, Ian Wright designed routers and switches for Digital Equipment and Cisco.
The X1 recently challenged -- and beat -- the Ferrari 360 Spyder (in red) at the Infineon Raceway in northern California.
Play video
Wright, a 50-year-old entrepreneur from New Zealand, thinks his electric car, the X1, can soon be made into a small-production roadster that car fanatics and weekend warriors will happily take home for about $100,000 - a quarter ton of batteries included. He has even launched a startup, called Wrightspeed, to custom-make and sell the cars.
(For a photo gallery of what's under the X1's hood, click here.)
But Wright isn't some quixotic loner. He's part of a growing cluster of engineers, startups, and investors, most of them based in Silicon Valley, that believe they can do what major automakers have failed at for decades: Think beyond the golf cart and deliver an electric vehicle (EV) to the mass market.
Indeed, the race for the new consumer EV has already begun: Just a year ago, Wright was working for his Woodside neighbor Martin Eberhard, co-founder of Tesla Motors, a startup that has 70
Saturday, April 29, 2006
RED HERRING | California OKs BPL
RED HERRING California OKs BPL: "California OKs BPL
State gives power utilities the go-ahead to send data traffic over its electricity distribution network.
April 28, 2006
The slowly evolving broadband over power lines (BPL) market got a much-needed shot in the arm late Thursday as the California Public Utilities Commission gave the technology its official blessing.
The blessing came a day after the U.S. Congress included an amendment in its controversial Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006 requiring the FCC to study the interference potential of BPL systems.
The California PUC gave its nod to electric utilities and other companies in the state that wish to begin BPL projects, but laid down ground rules designed to protect ratepayers and secure the power distribution system.
The guidelines allow for third parties to invest in and operate BPL systems, placing the control of the BPL network in the hands of companies with specialized knowledge of the technology."
State gives power utilities the go-ahead to send data traffic over its electricity distribution network.
April 28, 2006
The slowly evolving broadband over power lines (BPL) market got a much-needed shot in the arm late Thursday as the California Public Utilities Commission gave the technology its official blessing.
The blessing came a day after the U.S. Congress included an amendment in its controversial Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006 requiring the FCC to study the interference potential of BPL systems.
The California PUC gave its nod to electric utilities and other companies in the state that wish to begin BPL projects, but laid down ground rules designed to protect ratepayers and secure the power distribution system.
The guidelines allow for third parties to invest in and operate BPL systems, placing the control of the BPL network in the hands of companies with specialized knowledge of the technology."
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Plug-ins the answer?
Plug-In Hybrids Get 100+ MPG
While some automakers use hybrid technology to boost performance, some drivers are raising their MPG. Red Herring Article
April 23, 2006
The latest hybrids from Toyota and Honda focus more on high performance than better fuel economy. Now a few drivers are heading in the other direction: squeezing more than 100 miles per gallon from their hybrids by recharging them at electrical outlets.
CalCars, a nonprofit organization that promotes so-called “plug-in hybrids,” has added batteries and plugs to several Toyota Prius hybrids, getting gas mileage as high as 130 mpg. The organization shows its prototypes at events around California, and is working on conversion kits that any driver could install with the help of an engineer.
For those less mechanically inclined, Canada-based Hymotion retrofits the Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid, and Mercury Mariner—for fleets only—with prices starting at $9,500. The company plans to begin converting the hybrids for consumers within the next year.
EnergyCS has also made Prius plug-in hybrid prototypes, and its sister company, EDrive Systems, plans to begin taking orders in the United States this year. Amberjac Projects, in the U.K., will also distribute EDrive plug-in hybrids in Europe.
While some automakers use hybrid technology to boost performance, some drivers are raising their MPG. Red Herring Article
April 23, 2006
The latest hybrids from Toyota and Honda focus more on high performance than better fuel economy. Now a few drivers are heading in the other direction: squeezing more than 100 miles per gallon from their hybrids by recharging them at electrical outlets.
CalCars, a nonprofit organization that promotes so-called “plug-in hybrids,” has added batteries and plugs to several Toyota Prius hybrids, getting gas mileage as high as 130 mpg. The organization shows its prototypes at events around California, and is working on conversion kits that any driver could install with the help of an engineer.
For those less mechanically inclined, Canada-based Hymotion retrofits the Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid, and Mercury Mariner—for fleets only—with prices starting at $9,500. The company plans to begin converting the hybrids for consumers within the next year.
EnergyCS has also made Prius plug-in hybrid prototypes, and its sister company, EDrive Systems, plans to begin taking orders in the United States this year. Amberjac Projects, in the U.K., will also distribute EDrive plug-in hybrids in Europe.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
New project- Hi tech 15 passenger hover craft
A dream machine?
Imagine a dream machine that could effectively carry passengers or freight payload over diverse terrain - land , ice or water -year round -safely, economically and speedily.(faster then any land based alternative.)
Powered by diesel engines - that could use green biofuel alternatives . Run by 2 operators . The operations and flexibility of uses are very broad-
Imagine - using our natural rivers as highways - going upstream,to navigate rapids - wow
These are pictures of a test prototype on trial runs .
Any interest out there to make them commercial in North America.
How much they cost depends on the number made for our domestic market. I am for their commercialism and am interested in your opinion and help.
globeandmail.com : Gold to surpass $800: survey
globeandmail.com : Gold to surpass $800: survey: "Gold to surpass $800: survey
WENDY STUECK
Globe and Mail Update
Strong investment demand will continue to drive gold prices to new highs this year and could see the precious metal surge past the $800 (U.S.) an ounce mark, consulting firm GFMS Ltd. said Wednesday in an annual survey of the gold sector.
�Levels safely over $600 are now in our sights and further hefty gains over the next year or two are quite possible,� GFMS spokesman Philip Klapwijk said in a summary of the survey's findings. �In the right circumstances, the 1980 high of $850 could even be taken out.�
This year's bull run will be overwhelmingly driven by investment demand, the firm said, propelled by some of the same factors that helped push gold prices higher last year, including the high probability of a sharp slowdown in U.S. economic growth and a slide in the dollar."
WENDY STUECK
Globe and Mail Update
Strong investment demand will continue to drive gold prices to new highs this year and could see the precious metal surge past the $800 (U.S.) an ounce mark, consulting firm GFMS Ltd. said Wednesday in an annual survey of the gold sector.
�Levels safely over $600 are now in our sights and further hefty gains over the next year or two are quite possible,� GFMS spokesman Philip Klapwijk said in a summary of the survey's findings. �In the right circumstances, the 1980 high of $850 could even be taken out.�
This year's bull run will be overwhelmingly driven by investment demand, the firm said, propelled by some of the same factors that helped push gold prices higher last year, including the high probability of a sharp slowdown in U.S. economic growth and a slide in the dollar."
Monday, April 10, 2006
2006 Fiat Panda MultiEco Concept - Cars - Blogs.ca
2006 Fiat Panda MultiEco Concept - Cars - Blogs.ca: "2006 Fiat Panda MultiEco Concept
March 6th, 2006 by Justin Couture - Canadian Auto Press
Pages: 1 2
Since its divorce and cash-paid settlement with General Motors, Fiat has done some serious thinking about the future. After a near-death brush with accountants, the brand has moved well ahead, bouncing back from the sorry state it was in just a year ago with several new products for the Fiat brand and its luxury/performance subsidiary, Alfa Romeo, destined to enter North America by 2008."
March 6th, 2006 by Justin Couture - Canadian Auto Press
Pages: 1 2
Since its divorce and cash-paid settlement with General Motors, Fiat has done some serious thinking about the future. After a near-death brush with accountants, the brand has moved well ahead, bouncing back from the sorry state it was in just a year ago with several new products for the Fiat brand and its luxury/performance subsidiary, Alfa Romeo, destined to enter North America by 2008."
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Aylmer Ethanol plant
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.
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.
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
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Saturday, January 21, 2006
"A 330 mpg car for everyone" - Autoblog
"A 330 mpg car for everyone" - Autoblog: "'A 330 mpg car for everyone'
Posted Jan 18th 2006 9:00PM by Stuart Waterman
Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrids/Alternative"
Posted Jan 18th 2006 9:00PM by Stuart Waterman
Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrids/Alternative"
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Taiwanese researchers breed glowing pigs for stem cell research
Taiwanese researchers breed glowing pigs for stem cell research: "Taiwanese researchers said Friday they have bred the pigs with a fluorescent material in a move they hope will benefit the island's stem cell research effort. The fluorescent pigs are green from inside out, including their hearts and internal organs, said Wu Shinn-Chih, assistant professor of animal science at the prestigious National Taiwan University. "
Saturday, December 17, 2005
RED HERRING | Fuel Cells Step Closer
RED HERRING | Fuel Cells Step Closer: "Fuel Cells Step Closer
In the first major sale of fuel cells made for consumers, Medis Technologies receives a $50-million order.
July 28, 2005"
In the first major sale of fuel cells made for consumers, Medis Technologies receives a $50-million order.
July 28, 2005"
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Alternative energy gains momentum
Beyond Oil
Long addicted to oil, countries are facing growing pressure to move beyond the pricey fossil fuel. One report predicts carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions could climb by 52 percent by 2030, with disastrous consequences for the environment and human health. Political problems associated with oil dependence are another reason countries are turning to cleantech to help satisfy growing energy needs. Worldwide, clean energies like solar power and fuel cells are finally gaining traction, with the sector expected to rise to about $100 billion by 2012 from about $25 billion currently. Red Herring looks at some of the tech pioneers inventing new energy infrastructures that could help us move beyond oil. Find out more about InnovaLight’s Conrad Burke, CMR Fuel Cells’ John Halfpenny, and other new energy moguls in our cover story
Long addicted to oil, countries are facing growing pressure to move beyond the pricey fossil fuel. One report predicts carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions could climb by 52 percent by 2030, with disastrous consequences for the environment and human health. Political problems associated with oil dependence are another reason countries are turning to cleantech to help satisfy growing energy needs. Worldwide, clean energies like solar power and fuel cells are finally gaining traction, with the sector expected to rise to about $100 billion by 2012 from about $25 billion currently. Red Herring looks at some of the tech pioneers inventing new energy infrastructures that could help us move beyond oil. Find out more about InnovaLight’s Conrad Burke, CMR Fuel Cells’ John Halfpenny, and other new energy moguls in our cover story
Thursday, November 24, 2005
A Shift in Wind Power?
European outfits have dominated the fast-growing market. With the U.S. and others looking to renewable energy, that dynamic may be changing
Control of the global wind-power market is up in the air. As political and environmental concerns surrounding fossil fuels mount, wind has become one of the world's fastest-growing energy sources. Affirming the sector's mainstream appeal, major industrial outfits have jumped in and are throwing their weight around in a space previously dominated by specialized European companies. Advertisement
Thanks to a renewed tax credit, in the next few years the U.S. is poised to become a key wind power market, with relative newcomer General Electric (GE ) firmly entrenched as the domestic leader. GE entered the fray in 2002 by snapping up Enron Wind in a fire sale.
GALE-FORCE GROWTH. Since then the division's revenues have jumped from $500 million to an expected $2 billion-plus for 2005, gains that have taken U.S. market share from the Danish world leader, Vestas Wind Systems, and other outfits (see BW Online, 3/3/03, "A Strong Tailwind for Wind Power").
According to Danish group BTM Consult, which monitors renewable energy, worldwide wind-energy capacity has grown an average of 15.8% annually for the past five years. Although it still probably amounts to less than 1% of worldwide energy use, demand remains intense.
This should be the time that Vestas and companies such as Spanish group Gamesa, which have been pillars of the industry's growth in Europe, have been waiting for. But while they were instrumental to growth in Germany and Spain (the two countries with the highest generating capacity) and Denmark (which is estimated to derive 20% of its electricity from wind farms), the companies' success in larger countries is less assured.
BACK IN THE U.S. BTM partner Per Krogsgaard said GE's leverage in the U.S. and the strong euro have made it difficult for European companies to compete in this country, though a stronger dollar could make them more competitive. What's more, as the only major American manufacturer, an almost unheard-of advantage, GE has easy access to developers and owners, as well as enormous clout in the power sector. It's also unlikely that competitors will make a better product; industry observers say the enormous turbines put out by top manufacturers are very similar.
GE is providing more than 60% of the approximately 2,500 megawatts (MW) of wind energy capacity expected to be installed in the U.S. this year. The American Wind Energy Assn. (AWEA), a trade group, projects that at the end of 2005 the U.S.'s wind energy capacity will be about 9,200 MW, enough to power roughly 2.5 million homes.
In large part this power is generated by windmills with a generating capacity between 1 and 3 MW each. However, the word "windmill" barely seems adequate to describe these generators, with blades 131 feet long attached at a hub 250 feet above the ground, and they are not universally popular. Detractors say wind farms are ugly and not cost effective.
TAX CREDITS ARE FUNDAMENTAL. Historically the installation of wind turbines in the U.S. has fluctuated with the Production Tax Credit. This government incentive provides wind farm owners with a 1.9-cent credit per kilowatt hour generated on their facility for the first 10 years of operation. With the installation of 1 MW of capacity typically costing up to $1.5 million, over 10 years the credit can be good for about a third of the installation cost, according to the AWEA.
When the credit isn't in place, the industry sits on its hands. First enacted in 1994, the credit has expired three times, and each gap brought on an installation dry spell. Most recently it lapsed between the end of 2003 and the fall of 2004. According to the AWEA, installations dropped in the U.S. from 1,687 MW in 2003 to 389 MW in 2004.
With the credit back in place -- and extended through 2007 as part of last summer's energy bill -- there's a promising window for growth. AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher explained that the credit is "a fundamental part of the way you finance these projects." (See BW Online, 9/20/05, "Fresh Heat for Energy Policy.")
GOING OFFSHORE. In another boost for wind power, Massachusetts, Texas, and New York are each exploring the possibility of building offshore wind farms. There are currently none in the U.S. While capable of harnessing powerful and consistent sea breezes, offshore projects require major expenditures to plant windmills on the sea floor and connect them to infrastructure on land. These difficulties make it unlikely that offshore farms will become the country's primary source of wind power in the short term.
Until recently, Vestas was the only wind company that could claim a global reach. It is still the leading producer, but Krogsgaard of BTM said the company has elected to focus on improving profitability over market share, because it "has had difficulty with [its] bottom line" for the past two years.
Indeed, even as the company expands, its stock has tumbled from DKK 452.15 in November, 2000 (at the time about $52), to DKK 62 in December, 2004 (then about $11). Working under new management in a booming market, the company has seen the stock climb back over DKK 140, and Vestas continues to fill orders around the world. Vestas declined to comment for this article.
COMPETITION HEATS UP. However, several factors suggest that the future will be more competitive. Gamesa is opening a blade factory in Pennsylvania next year, making a play for at least some piece of the U.S. market. By contrast, in the spring of 2002, Vestas announced plans to build a factory near its U.S. headquarters in Portland, Ore., but later scuttled the idea, abandoning a foothold in the Americas. The Danish concern has production facilities in India and Australia, but the bulk of its factories are concentrated in Europe, its core market.
Even there, Vestas could lose ground. GE operates turbine factories in Spain and Germany. And in December, 2004, German behemoth Siemens (SI ) got in the game by acquiring Danish concern Bonus Energy, becoming the industry's fifth largest player.
For the short term, at least, the outlook is strong for the U.S. and Europe. However, as in so many fields, the industry's attention is turning to China and India, both of which have small but growing sectors. China's National Development & Reform Commission has expressed a commitment to renewable energy sources.
It is not yet clear how much of this will be devoted to wind power and to what extent it will translate into sales for the existing players. Indian company Suzlon was the sixth-largest manufacturer in 2004. But Suzlon won't have Asia to itself (see BW, 8/22/05, "Winds of Change in Inner Mongolia"). The prospect of powering the world's largest emerging markets with wind turbines has all the players spinning.
Control of the global wind-power market is up in the air. As political and environmental concerns surrounding fossil fuels mount, wind has become one of the world's fastest-growing energy sources. Affirming the sector's mainstream appeal, major industrial outfits have jumped in and are throwing their weight around in a space previously dominated by specialized European companies. Advertisement
Thanks to a renewed tax credit, in the next few years the U.S. is poised to become a key wind power market, with relative newcomer General Electric (GE ) firmly entrenched as the domestic leader. GE entered the fray in 2002 by snapping up Enron Wind in a fire sale.
GALE-FORCE GROWTH. Since then the division's revenues have jumped from $500 million to an expected $2 billion-plus for 2005, gains that have taken U.S. market share from the Danish world leader, Vestas Wind Systems, and other outfits (see BW Online, 3/3/03, "A Strong Tailwind for Wind Power").
According to Danish group BTM Consult, which monitors renewable energy, worldwide wind-energy capacity has grown an average of 15.8% annually for the past five years. Although it still probably amounts to less than 1% of worldwide energy use, demand remains intense.
This should be the time that Vestas and companies such as Spanish group Gamesa, which have been pillars of the industry's growth in Europe, have been waiting for. But while they were instrumental to growth in Germany and Spain (the two countries with the highest generating capacity) and Denmark (which is estimated to derive 20% of its electricity from wind farms), the companies' success in larger countries is less assured.
BACK IN THE U.S. BTM partner Per Krogsgaard said GE's leverage in the U.S. and the strong euro have made it difficult for European companies to compete in this country, though a stronger dollar could make them more competitive. What's more, as the only major American manufacturer, an almost unheard-of advantage, GE has easy access to developers and owners, as well as enormous clout in the power sector. It's also unlikely that competitors will make a better product; industry observers say the enormous turbines put out by top manufacturers are very similar.
GE is providing more than 60% of the approximately 2,500 megawatts (MW) of wind energy capacity expected to be installed in the U.S. this year. The American Wind Energy Assn. (AWEA), a trade group, projects that at the end of 2005 the U.S.'s wind energy capacity will be about 9,200 MW, enough to power roughly 2.5 million homes.
In large part this power is generated by windmills with a generating capacity between 1 and 3 MW each. However, the word "windmill" barely seems adequate to describe these generators, with blades 131 feet long attached at a hub 250 feet above the ground, and they are not universally popular. Detractors say wind farms are ugly and not cost effective.
TAX CREDITS ARE FUNDAMENTAL. Historically the installation of wind turbines in the U.S. has fluctuated with the Production Tax Credit. This government incentive provides wind farm owners with a 1.9-cent credit per kilowatt hour generated on their facility for the first 10 years of operation. With the installation of 1 MW of capacity typically costing up to $1.5 million, over 10 years the credit can be good for about a third of the installation cost, according to the AWEA.
When the credit isn't in place, the industry sits on its hands. First enacted in 1994, the credit has expired three times, and each gap brought on an installation dry spell. Most recently it lapsed between the end of 2003 and the fall of 2004. According to the AWEA, installations dropped in the U.S. from 1,687 MW in 2003 to 389 MW in 2004.
With the credit back in place -- and extended through 2007 as part of last summer's energy bill -- there's a promising window for growth. AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher explained that the credit is "a fundamental part of the way you finance these projects." (See BW Online, 9/20/05, "Fresh Heat for Energy Policy.")
GOING OFFSHORE. In another boost for wind power, Massachusetts, Texas, and New York are each exploring the possibility of building offshore wind farms. There are currently none in the U.S. While capable of harnessing powerful and consistent sea breezes, offshore projects require major expenditures to plant windmills on the sea floor and connect them to infrastructure on land. These difficulties make it unlikely that offshore farms will become the country's primary source of wind power in the short term.
Until recently, Vestas was the only wind company that could claim a global reach. It is still the leading producer, but Krogsgaard of BTM said the company has elected to focus on improving profitability over market share, because it "has had difficulty with [its] bottom line" for the past two years.
Indeed, even as the company expands, its stock has tumbled from DKK 452.15 in November, 2000 (at the time about $52), to DKK 62 in December, 2004 (then about $11). Working under new management in a booming market, the company has seen the stock climb back over DKK 140, and Vestas continues to fill orders around the world. Vestas declined to comment for this article.
COMPETITION HEATS UP. However, several factors suggest that the future will be more competitive. Gamesa is opening a blade factory in Pennsylvania next year, making a play for at least some piece of the U.S. market. By contrast, in the spring of 2002, Vestas announced plans to build a factory near its U.S. headquarters in Portland, Ore., but later scuttled the idea, abandoning a foothold in the Americas. The Danish concern has production facilities in India and Australia, but the bulk of its factories are concentrated in Europe, its core market.
Even there, Vestas could lose ground. GE operates turbine factories in Spain and Germany. And in December, 2004, German behemoth Siemens (SI ) got in the game by acquiring Danish concern Bonus Energy, becoming the industry's fifth largest player.
For the short term, at least, the outlook is strong for the U.S. and Europe. However, as in so many fields, the industry's attention is turning to China and India, both of which have small but growing sectors. China's National Development & Reform Commission has expressed a commitment to renewable energy sources.
It is not yet clear how much of this will be devoted to wind power and to what extent it will translate into sales for the existing players. Indian company Suzlon was the sixth-largest manufacturer in 2004. But Suzlon won't have Asia to itself (see BW, 8/22/05, "Winds of Change in Inner Mongolia"). The prospect of powering the world's largest emerging markets with wind turbines has all the players spinning.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Doctors Wielding Data
Doctors Wielding Data: "Doctors Wielding Data
Helping patients and cutting costs
If you told most people when they walked into a hospital that the care they were going to get would be as strictly regimented as production in a factory, they'd probably turn around and walk out the door. Americans tend to think quality medicine means customized medicine. For care to be good, it has to be tailored just for them. "
Helping patients and cutting costs
If you told most people when they walked into a hospital that the care they were going to get would be as strictly regimented as production in a factory, they'd probably turn around and walk out the door. Americans tend to think quality medicine means customized medicine. For care to be good, it has to be tailored just for them. "
An Oregon Trailblazer
An Oregon Trailblazer: "An Oregon Trailblazer
A Wi-Fi network for first responders "
A Wi-Fi network for first responders "
Saturday, August 13, 2005
MSN Encarta - The 10 Greatest Inventions
MSN Encarta - The 10 Greatest Inventions: "The 10 Greatest Inventions
by Tamim Ansary
Of the millions of inventions, what are the ten greatest?"
by Tamim Ansary
Of the millions of inventions, what are the ten greatest?"
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