General energy news

[ScienceRocks]

New electric cars? New power plants??? Wind farms, solar farms, nuclear plants??? New products. Post them! Post news on the Chevy volt, Telsa s, x, etc.

This isn't so much for the newest innovation in energy tech as the other thread is all about that.

Cree Releases Highest Efficacy Color LEDs, & More…


June 27, 2013 Zachary Shahan

XPE2_Warm_medCree, a leader in LEDs, recently announced the commercial availability of XLamp® XP-E2 color LEDs. According to the company, XP-E2 color LEDs produce up to 88% higher maximum light output than competing high-power color LEDs.

Read more at Cree Releases Highest Efficacy Color LEDs, & More... | CleanTechnica

 

[ScienceRocks]

Volkswagen Passat TDI scores non-hybrid world record with trip average of 78MPG

Volkswagen Passat TDI scores non-hybrid world record with trip average of 78MPG - SlashGear
Brittany Hillen, Jun 27th 2013 Discuss [1]

When someone talks about high gas mileage, most consumers think of hybrid vehicles and the generous MPG ratings they offer. That isn’t always the case, however, as Volkswagen proved this month with its VW Passat TDI Clean Diesel passenger car. The car began its trip through the 48 lower US states on June 7, and ended its journey earlier this week, having traveled 8,122 miles on just under 105 gallons of gas.

In doing so, the auto maker earned a Guinness World Record under “Lowest fuel consumption — 48 U.S. states for a non-hybrid car,” a record that was previously held at 67.9MPG. The highest rating achieved by a hybrid vehicle in its own category was 64MPG, quite a bit lower than both. The manual six-speed version of this car has an EPA estimated rating of 43MPG on the highway.

 

[RGR]

TDI's rock. If it weren't for that VW label on the front, it would be worth buying. Maybe when the Mazda diesel comes out this fall it will be worth the plunge.

 

[ScienceRocks]

The Mayor of Indianapolis Is Electrifying his City
The Mayor of Indianapolis Is Electrifying his City : Compass

Ever wonder how fueling a gasoline car compares in cost to fueling a plug-in electric car? At this week's annual Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) conference in Washington, D.C., the Department of Energy’s David Danielson announced a handy new web tool called eGallon that allows you to do just that. The site shows that on average in the U.S., it costs $3.65 per gallon in gasoline to fuel a car and the equivalent of only $1.14 per gallon to fuel a car with electricity.

 

[ScienceRocks]

World's first hybrid wind/current generator could generate double the power


World's first hybrid wind/current generator could generate double the power : TreeHugger

Combining a three-bladed Darrieus turbine on top, a Savonius turbine underneath, and a generator in between, the SKWID power generation concept is claimed to be the world's first hybrid system "capable of maximizing the harvesting of ocean energy from wind and current".

The SKWID, from the Japanese company Mitsui Ocean Development & Engineering Company (MODEC), is designed to capitalize on the energy potential available both in the winds above the ocean, and in the currents flowing beneath the waves. The device uses an omnidirectional Darrieus wind turbine sitting 47 meters above the sea on one end of a vertical shaft, with a different type of omnidirectional turbine design, a 15 meter diameter Savonius, spinning at the other end under the surface.

 

[ScienceRocks]

1776-2012: Main sources of energy in the U.S. since the first Independence Day

1776-2012: Main sources of energy in the U.S. since the first Independence Day : TreeHugger

4th of July edition!
Birthdays are a good time to look back and reflect on the road traveled thus far. On July 4th, the U.S. is celebrating one more year, so why not look back at how the country's energy usage has evolved over time? On the graph above, based on data compiled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, you can clearly see all the major trends of the past 2+ centuries.

Like to see Nuclear, renewables and hydro go up!

 

[ScienceRocks]

EU Parliament Approves Backloading Fix To Cap And Trade Market


July 3, 2013 Silvio Marcacci

Big news for global carbon markets today, as the European Parliament voted to approve a “backloading” plan to reduce the glut of unsold carbon allowances in the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS).

Read more at EU Parliament Approves Backloading Fix To Cap And Trade Market

 

[ScienceRocks]

1.445 GW More Geothermal For The Philippines By 2030


July 3, 2013 Jake Richardson

The Philippines Energy Department is planning to grow their total geothermal energy capacity another 1.445 GW by 2030. They already have an installed capacity of 1.848 GW, so the additional gigawatts would be a 75% increase. Their Energy Department website says employing geothermal has saved billions of dollars since the 1970s, because they did not not have to purchase as much foreign fuel oil to run power generators.

Read more at 1.445 GW More Geothermal For The Philippines By 2030 | CleanTechnica

 

[ScienceRocks]

UK Prime Minister Launches World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm


July 4, 2013 Timothy B. Hurst

London Array Turbines smallIt’s been a long time in the making — 12 years to be precise — but the London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, is officially up and running. At a launch event today in Margate, Kent, UK Prime Minister David Cameron called the project “A win for Kent… a win for renewable energy… and most of all, a very big win for Britain.”

“We are making this country incredibly attractive to investment,” Prime Minister Cameron added.

Read more at UK Prime Minister Launches World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm | CleanTechnica

 

[ScienceRocks]

“Stella” is first solar-powered family car, will race in World Solar Challenge

?Stella? is first solar-powered family car, will race in World Solar Challenge - SlashGear

Students at the Eindhoven University of Technology have developed a solar-powered car they call “Stella,” which is claimed to be the first-ever family car that runs off the sun. The vehicle is designed to seat four individuals, and utilizes power drawn from the sun via solar panels that are located on its roof. We have a video of it in action after the break.

As you can see in the image above, the car is very long, as well as short in terms of roof height, tapering down to a thin tail for aerodynamics. According to the students who created it, Stella is capable of traveling up to a distance of 600 kilometers, something that will be put to the test in Australia’s World Solar Challenge, which is a 3,000 kilometer race that starts in Darwin and goes all the way to Adelaide.

“Stella” is an “energy-positive car” (reportedly the first in the world). It has space for four people as well as a trunk. It has a range of 600 kilometers (373 miles) and can go up to 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph).

Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2013/07/06/solar-powered-car-for-families/#9VJWA1viWZVKRLRV.99

I wonder if such could have a battery system for night time?

 

[Mr. H.]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLQRKnZ2cK8]STELLLAAA!!! - YouTube[/ame]

 

[ScienceRocks]

How do you think about the solar car?


High School Girl Invents Flashlight Powered By Body Heat


July 6, 2013 Nicholas Brown

I remember when I powered a small electric motor with heat (and a good amount of it) using a thermoelectric module. However, I had a hard time achieving more than 1 volt. A 15-year-old girl in tenth grade from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada recently got around this problem using a circuit that she discovered on the internet. She was able to power a flashlight/torch that produced 5 lumens of light per square foot (5 foot candles) using only heat from the human hand, which could be useful.

Read more at High School Student Invents Torch Powered By The Human Hand

 

[ScienceRocks]

Pakistan approves budget for two 1100 MW China built nuclear reactors and Vietnam progresses on discussions for their planned nuclear reactors

Pakistan's Cabinet Executive Committee approved Thursday setting up two 1,100 megawatt nuclear power plants at the Karachi coast, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said. Budget documents had revealed the setting up of only one 1,100 megawatt coastal power plant at Karachi, with Chinese assistance.


2. Vietnam is considering offers from established nuclear countries as it seeks to introduce nuclear energy technology.

The project is pursued by the JINED consortium including METI, nine utilities (led by Chubu, Kansai & Tokyo Electric Power Company) and three manufacturers (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba and Hitachi). Part of the offer is finance and insurance for up to 85% of the total cost of the Vinh Hai project, which could include four large reactors.

Separately, Vietnam is progressing a Russian offer based on a four-unit VVER-1000 plant at Phuoc Dinh, also in Ninh Thuan province. No firm dates for construction have been set for either project and they could progress in parallel, seeing full operation of all units in the late 2020s.

Pakistan approves budget for two 1100 MW China built nuclear reactors and Vietnam progresses on discussions for their planned nuclear reactors

Well, Pakistan seems to think more logical then America. lol

 

[ScienceRocks]

Concentrated Solar Set To Change How We Think About Energy Sources


July 6, 2013 Giles Parkinson

The 110MW Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Plant, a concentrated solar power project due to be completed in Nevada early next year, will not just be the largest solar power tower plant with fully integrated energy storage built – it could also challenge the way the world thinks about renewable energy. Or even energy sources in general.

The $1 billion Crescent Dunes project near Tonopah in the Central Nevada Desert, some 300kms north of Las Vegas, was developed by the Santa Monica-based SolarReserve and features the company’s market leading molten salt power tower technology with fully integrated energy storage.

What makes it unique and a potential game changer in the electricity industry is the flexibility and dispatchability of its power, meaning that it can deliver electricity whenever it is needed by customers; and its cost, which already beats diesel, is competitive with new build coal and gas generation.

The Crescent Dunes facility will have 10 hours of molten salt storage, which on average will allow it to deliver 110MW of baseload capacity to Las Vegas between the hours of 12 noon and midnight each day, when the city needs it most to power the lights and air conditioning of its casinos and entertainment palaces. It has signed a 25-year power contract with NV Energy, Nevada’s largest utility, to do that.

Read more at Concentrated Solar Set To Change How We Think About Energy Sources | CleanTechnica

 

[ScienceRocks]

SolePower charges smartphones by harnessing walking power

Looking to solve the issue of a dead phone battery and no power outlet in sight, a new invention on Kickstarter says it can capture, generate, and store power within a shoe insole.

SolePower charges smartphones by harnessing walking power | Cutting Edge - CNET News

What if people could charge their phones by going for a walk? No electricity, no power outlets, no more dealing with dead phone batteries. This idea actually isn't too farfetched.

A new Kickstarter campaign is focused on getting funding for a power generating shoe insert that lets users charge portable devices -- like smartphones, music players, and GPS devices -- while they walk.

The device is called SolePower and is currently in an alpha prototype phase. The company is looking to raise $50,000 by July 18 to start working toward finalizing a mass producible product.

SolePower founders Matthew Staton and Hahna Alexander came up with the idea as mechanical engineering students at Carnegie Mellon University.

"We initially designed SolePower to simply light an LED on the shoe so students walking to and from campus at night would be more visible," Stanton told CNET. "After we developed a proof of concept prototype for the class we realized that there were many more applications for the device."

 

[ScienceRocks]

US Interior Department Approces 500 MW Arizona Wind Farm


July 8, 2013 Joshua S Hill

The US Department of the Interior announced on Wednesday that they had approved a plan to build a 500 MW wind project in Arizona. Upon completion, the wind farm will provide enough electricity to the grid to power up to 175,000 houses.

The announcement comes in the wake of President Obama’s climate action plan, a comprehensive set of plans and actions to reduce US and global carbon pollution and energy inefficiency.

The Arizonan wind project, known as the Mohave County Wind Farm, was proposed by BP Wind Energy North America, and will see 243 wind turbines erected on Federal lands approximately 40 miles northwest of Kingman. The decision paves the way for the provision of right-of-way grants for the use of approximately 35,000 acres of BLM (Bureau of Land Management) managed land as well as another 2,800 of Bureau of Reclamation land. The development includes a 1.2 mile buffer zone to protect nearby nesting locations for golden eagles and an assurance that no turbine will be erected within a quarter-mile of private property.

Read more at US Interior Department Approces 500 MW Arizona Wind Farm | CleanTechnica

 

[ScienceRocks]

BMW Board Member: EV Driving Range To Double Within 5 Years


July 8, 2013 Tim Tyler

Editor’s Note: BMW has been a little late to the electric car game. Or maybe it’s coming in right on time. One might think BMW isn’t that bullish on electric cars since its first electric car, the BMW i3, is yet to be released (it’s coming on July 29). However, at least one BMW board member is confident that EV driving range is going to double within the next five years. That would be a game-changer within the automobile industry. Here’s more from EV Obsession:

Recently, at a conference in Paris, BMW board member Ian Robertson made a claim that, within 5 years, EVs would double their single-charge driving range.

This statement came alongside the soon to be released BMW i3 EV. While some feel this claim was just to get publicity for the upcoming i3 release, others are not so sure.

If this advancement would happen within 5 years, that would give a typical EV a range of 150 –200 miles from a single charge. This would definitely be a game changer for the EV market. Having an extended driving range has already shown to have a huge impact on EV sales. For example, part of Tesla’s success can be attributed to the Model S and its EPA estimated 265-mile single-charge range.

Read more at BMW Board Member: EV Driving Range To Double Within 5 Years | CleanTechnica


40% Drop In EV Battery Prices From 2010 To 2012


July 8, 2013 Zachary Shahan

Following up on the article we just published about a BMW board member’s bullish projections for EV battery range, here’s a positive find on EV battery price trends from EV Obsession:

One of the hardest and most critical factors to project when it comes to electric vehicles is the price of batteries, which make up a huge portion of an EV’s price. However, the trend is pretty obvious.

As this graph below shows, EV battery prices have fallen 40% since 2010. Regarding the future, BMW board member Ian Robertson says, “in the next three to four years there will be more progress in battery development than in the previous 100 years.” Here’s a Bloomberg New Energy Finance graph on recent and projected trends:

Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2013/07/08...prices-from-2010-to-2012/#MOt1Cm0UJ6wbWTTB.99

 

[Old Rocks]

At least double, possibly at half the price, and twice the longevity. That is where the current research is headed. As the EV comes to be much more common, and head on price competative with the ICE up front, and at the same time the price of home solar continues to go down, even as efficiencies go up, there will come a time when owning an ICE is considered a sign of stupidity.

 

[ScienceRocks]

US Passes 10 GW Installed Solar PV Capacity Milestone


July 9, 2013 Silvio Marcacci

America’s solar market has broken through the clouds to shine as only the fourth nation to pass the 10 gigawatts (GW) installed solar capacity milestone.

Fast-growing solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment levels since 2010 pushed the US into the ultra-exclusive 10 GW club, reports NPD Solarbuzz in the latest North America PV Market Quarterly report.

“The US has now joined an elite group of maturing solar PV markets,” said Christopher Sunsong of NPD Solarbuzz. “Only Germany, Italy, and China have more installed PV capacity than the US.”

Read more at US Passes 10GW Installed Solar PV Capacity Milestone

 

[ScienceRocks]

World's biggest offshore wind farm with 300 turbines will be built in Lincolnshire

Work on the Triton Knoll site can now begin after the £3.6bn project was given the go ahead
It will dwarf Britain's current largest offshore facility unveiled last week by David Cameron

When complete the windfarm will generate enough power for 820,000 homes

Read more: World's biggest offshore wind farm with 300 turbines will be built in Lincolnshire | Mail Online
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1.2 gw of electricy!!!!