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.

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.

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.

Harvesting pig manure on a conveyor belt shows promising test results

Harvesting pig manure on a conveyor belt shows promising test results

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."

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."

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"

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.

gizmag Article: Functional redesign of the wall electrical outlet

gizmag Article: Functional redesign of the wall electrical outlet

Interesting designs

Bull run in resources

Bull run in resources

Yahoo! Mail - respondfeedbacknow@yahoo.ca

Yahoo! Mail - respondfeedbacknow@yahoo.ca: ""

"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"

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. "

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"

Use of waste heat toproduce energy

BUSINESS WIRE: The Global Leader in News Distribution

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

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.

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. "

An Oregon Trailblazer

An Oregon Trailblazer: "An Oregon Trailblazer
A Wi-Fi network for first responders "

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?"