The Kite Wind Generator

Experts estimate that the wind blowing across the planet holds enough energy to meet all human needs 100 times over. The question then is how to capture it. There are some interesting new approaches being developed.

Alternative Energy News.Info reports.

"The Kite Wind Generator simply known as KiteGen is an Italian company. They are installing kites that sprout from funnel like structures. They are mounted on giant poles. When wind blows these kites come out of funnels. For short, use kites that spring from funnels on the end of giant poles when the wind blows. For each kite, winches release a pair of high-resistance cables to control direction and angle. These kites are light and ultra-resistant. These kites are similar to those used for kite surfing - light and ultra-resistant, capable of flying up to a height of 2,000 meters.

The basics of the wind turbines and KiteGen are same. But they have moved the heaviest parts to the ground. They claim that the resulting structure, base foundation included, is much lighter and cheaper. They have also provided flexibility regarding the height of kites. If the wind is strong at certain height, the height of the kite too can be adjusted accordingly. If today wind if blowing nicely at 1000m, say, kites can be adjusted at the same height. If tomorrow the strong wind is blowing at certain other height, wind kites can be flown at that height to gain maximum advantage of the wind power." See full article and video.

World Bank Will Invest In North African Solar Projects

The sun-soaked regions of North Africa provide major opportunities for alternative energy development.

Alternative Energy News.Info reports:

"The World Bank will invest $5.5 billion for North African solar power projects. They have announced that initially World Bank will put in $750 million dollars from the Clean Technology Fund with the remaining amount will be arranged from other sources. World Bank is expecting to complete these projects by 2015. They are willing to include five countries in this project and hoping to triple world wide concentrated solar power technology (CSP) capacity. This relatively new technology uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a single point, heating water to drive turbines. Construction of the 11 facilities in the project is scheduled to begin in 2011. It is expected that the North African project will generate a total of 900 MW in capacity by 2020." See full article.

Zero Emissions Concept Taxi May Come To Market In Mexico

Mexican car builders are showing interest in a dramatic new taxi design.

Mike Spinelli from PopSci.com reports:

"Industrial designer Alberto Villareal had an idea for a zero-emissions taxicab to replace the copious cabs of his home domicile: smog-choked Mexico City. He named the fuel-cell-powered taxi, which maximizes space while reducing weight and uses solar power to supplement its electrical system, MX-Libris.
Officials at Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany thought MX-Libris was such a novel solution to the city's car-for-hire ills that they gave Villareal their coveted Red Dot design award in 2008. Now, Villareal says two Mexico-based companies -- a taxi distribution and management firm and a car body maker -- could be ready to build a prototype of MX-Libris, and maybe even put it into production." See full article

Tiny Glitter-sized Solar Cells -- An Energy Revolution

Technology is emerging that can make the average person on the street a walking battery charger.

Jude Garvey for Gizmag.com reports:

"Scientists from Sandia National Laboratories have developed tiny, glitter-sized photovoltaic cells that are ten times thinner than conventional solar cells and could one day be used in a variety of applications – from satellites and remote-sensing, to tents and perhaps even clothing.

The Sandia research team identified over 20 benefits of scale for these tiny cells over traditional solar cells, including better performance, more efficiencies and possibly reduced costs." See full article.

Eighteen Wheeler Design Innovation Cuts Fuel Use By 7.5%

A "boat tail" addition to the nation's eighteen-wheeled tractor trailers would make a significant difference in U.S. fuel consumption.

Alternative Energy News.info reports:

"A simple attachment of a tapering protrusion at the back of a truck can save up to 7.5% in fuel consumption. This is a significant amount of fuel saving with a simple alteration. This fuel saving is possible due to dramatically-improved aerodynamics. It has been verified by road tests conducted by the Dutch PART (Platform for Aerodynamic Road Transport) public-private partnership platform.

They short listed adding of a boat tail to the back of the truck. What is a boat tail? It is a tapering protrusion which is mounted on the back end of a truck. Tail ends length is about two meters. The feasibility of this arrangement is already demonstrated by the wind tunnel experiments and computer simulations." See full article.

First Sea Water Osmotic Power Plant Goes Live

A form of alternative energy that shows great promise involves the ocean and the use of osmosis.

Clay Dillow of Popsci.com reports:

"Osmotic power works by separating saltwater and seawater in two chambers separated by a polymer membrane that will only allow freshwater to pass through. The salinity of the seawater draws the freshwater through the membrane, creating a great deal of pressure on the seawater side. That pressure can be used to turn a turbine to create power.

The Norwegians have no problem going big on their maritime energy projects either. Norwegian energy giant StatiolHydro recently erected Hywind, the world's first floating full-scale offshore wind turbine, and Statiol's Snohvit field in the Barents sea is the world's most environmentally friendly liquid natural gas plant and boasts the world's longest undersea pipeline system." See full article.

Goblin Motors: The Future of Pedal Power

For some people a pedal-powered commute make sense. This technology is evolving along with speed and comfort.

Alternative Energy News.info reports:

"Based upon high tech aerodynamics engineering and standard cycling technology, Goblin Motors introduces products that offer a reasonable way to commute using human power alone. Drivers have protection from the elements, whether it is hot or cold, sunny or raining. Popular in Europe for years, this is the first time that such vehicles have been designed and manufactured to accommodate larger American citizens.

Visit the Goblin Aero page for project details and photos. Look forward to the release of Goblin Motors’ new hybrid drive power assist on Earth Day, 2009." See full article.

Icetape: 90% Less Cooling Energy At Large Data Centers:

A new approach to cooling computer server "farms" could make a big difference in global greenhouse gas emissions.

Clay Dillow at Popsci.com reports:

"Server farms are undeniably awesome in that they store huge pools of data, enable such modern phenomena as cloud computing and Web-hosted email, and most importantly, make the Internet as it stands today possible. The downside: data centers get very, very hot. Cooling huge banks of servers doesn't just cost a lot, it eats up a lot of energy, and that generally means fossil fuels. UK-based Iceotope hopes to cut those costs by about 93 percent by wrapping servers in liquid coolant.

Iceotope works by wrapping individual components inside each server in a kind of ice-pack filled with synthetic coolant. The system also employs water to carry excess heat out of the data center, either releasing it into the atmosphere or channeling it to offices or other areas as a form of heating during cold weather." See full article.

New High-Performance Hybrid Two-Wheeler Will Get 150 MPG

Hybrid vehicle technology continues to improve and Piaggio is making great advances with three and two-wheels.

Mike Hanlon for Gizmag.com reports:

"Piaggio's MP3 was the world's first hybrid three-wheeler and at EICMA this week, it showed what is likely to be the first two-wheeled hybrid – the Piaggio USB (urban sport bike). The combination of a highly efficient, low-emmission GDI (gasoline direct injection) two-stroke motor and an electric motor, the USB is much smaller than it looks in the images and weighs in at just 130 kg. The USB runs 50km (30 miles) on electric only, and returns 1.5 l/100 km (156 U.S. mpg and 188 imperial mpg).

Quite remarkably, the performance of the USB is awesome using both to develop a claimed combined torque figure of 200 Nm which means the plug-in USB blitzes to its top speed of 100 kmh far faster than your average performance car." See full article.

A Lamp That Runs On Phone Jack Electricity

The electricity that comes through the phone lines is, in many ways, wasted except when you are making or receiving calls. Some think of this as a way to lower carbon footprint using "free" power.

Darren Quick at Gizmag.com reports:

"If you’re looking to shave every last cent off your next electricity bill then this gooseneck lamp is for you. The lamp is so energy efficient its eight white LED lights are powered by the trickle of electricity flowing from a RJ11 socket – or garden-variety telephone socket. This means that, even if you’ve fallen behind on your electricity bill and the power has been cut off, you can still enjoy some late night reading. If the only RJ11 jack available is already being used by another appliance – say a phone – then you’ll be left in the dark, as the light isn’t able to connect to a regular power point." See full article.

New Table-Top Solar Storage Unit: ReNu

A new home table-top unit will run an Ipod -- a desk lamp and more.

Paul Ridden at Gizmag.com reports:

"A recent winner of the i-stage consumer electronics competition, the ReNu system couples a sleek, minimal design with clever looking functionality. The separate ReNu panel charges in nine hours when placed in direct sunlight or 20 hours in poorer light, and can then be used to power an iPod or iPhone dock or charger, or an LED lamp. The panel gives around eight hours of playback time, two full iPhone charges, or four hours of light, and does away with users having to expose their iPods or iPhones to direct sunlight while the charger does its work.

The interface displays the amount of energy harvested, the level remaining in reserve, as well as when it is time to expose the ReNu panel to sunlight again. The iPod dock features a USB port for syncing, and all units have an AC adapter should the sun's rays really be in scarce supply." See full article.

Wind Turbines May Be Getting Stealth Technology

High-flying wind turbines near low-flying aircraft can cause radar confusion. Military stealth technology may offer a solution.

Paul Ridden at Gizmag.com reports:

Radar technology tracks moving objects by looking for Doppler but if an aircraft flies low over a wind farm, even though only the moving parts on a turbine are its blades the radar is unable to easily distinguish one moving object from the other.

Technology consultants, QinetiQ (which was formed after the breakup of the UK Government's Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in 2001) and turbine manufacturer Vestas believe that the solution lies in hiding the turbines and blades from the radar using stealth technology.
In a project partly funded by the UK Government, radar absorbing materials were integrated in a turbine blade which was then fitted to an existing Vestas V90 turbine. Radar cross section measurements were then taken using a system developed by QinetiQ. The results showed a significant reduction in the radar signature of the turbine" See full article:

The Movement Toward Home-Brewed Electricity

Home made (and stored) electricity is getting closer to a reality:

Physorg.com reports:

"A report by an international expert on solar energy ... describes a long-awaited, inexpensive method for solar energy storage that could help power homes and plug-in cars in the future while helping keep the environment clean. Daniel Nocera explains that the global energy need will double by mid-century and triple by 2100 due to rising standards of living world population growth. Personalized solar energy - the capture and storage of solar energy at the individual or home level - could meet that demand in a sustainable way, especially in poorer areas of the world.

The report describes development of a practical, inexpensive storage system for achieving personalized solar energy. At its heart is an innovative catalyst that splits water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen that become fuel for producing electricity in a fuel cell." See full article.

An Inconvenient Truth In The Classroom: Free High School Curriculum

Many Americans have seen the Oscar-winning film documentary, An inconvenient Truth. It is based on a powerful visual and factual presentation on the realities of global warming that was developed through many years of hard work by former U.S. Vice President, Al Gore.

The National Wildlife Federation has, in cooperation with Mr. Gore, and with the support of film producer Particpant Media and the Tosa Foundation, developed an Incovenient Truth high school curriculum that focuses on the science of global warming and educational activities about global warming solutions.

The curriculum and other materials on climate change education can be found on the NWF Climate Classroom website which has age-differentiated sections for both teens and younger children and a wide range od useful parent, child and educator resources.

Click here and scroll down the page to access and download free copies of An Incovenient Truth high school curriculum

Color-Changing Roof Tiles: Dark In Winter & Light In Summer

If you have ever been in an attic in the summer, you know it can be incredibly overheated. In the winter, on a sunny day, it can be surpisingly warm. A group of students are working on a way to have the best of both worlds.

Physorg.com reports:

"The ideal situation, then, would be to get the advantage of white roofs when it's hot and black roofs when it's cold. Now, there may be a way to have both. A team of recent MIT graduates has developed roof tiles that change color based on the temperature. The tiles become white when it's hot, allowing them to reflect away most of the sun's heat. When it's cold they turn black and absorb heat just when it's needed.

The team's lab measurements show that in their white state, the tiles reflect about 80 percent of the sunlight falling on them, while when black they reflect only about 30 percent. That means in their white state, they could save as much as 20 percent of present cooling costs, according to recent studies. Savings from the black state in winter have yet to be quantified." See full article.

Working On Solar Cells That Will Print Like Newspaper

Investing in solar power still has a long enough economic break-even period to discourage more widespread investment. Creating less expensive and more efficient soalr panels is a key aspectof making solar power more universal.

Alternative Energy News reports:

"It is believed that solar cells could soon be produced more cheaply using nanoparticle “inks”. These nanoparticles can help in printing solar cells like newspaper or painted onto the sides of buildings or rooftops to absorb electricity-producing sunlight. Brian Korgel along with his team is working on this low-cost, nanomaterial solution that can replace the current photovoltaics. Brian Korgel is a chemical engineer at University of Texas at Austin. He is quite hopeful that his new technique coupled with different manufacturing processes will lower the price of solar cells to one tenth

Korgel is utilizing the light-absorbing nanomaterials. Their specialty is that they are 10,000 times thinner than a strand of hair. Their microscopic size makes it possible to attain higher-efficiency devices. The inks could be printed on a roll-to-roll printing process. They can use a plastic substrate or stainless steel for printing. It seems that this type of ink could be used to paint a rooftop or building and it doesn’t look like a tall claim." See full article.

New Green Concrete Developed -- Implications For The Building Industry

In the national discussion about green buildings and green development, there is considerable hope that the use of concrete can be made more climate and eco-friendly. Some recent breakthroughs make that more possible .

Jeff Salton at Gizmag.com reports:

"Concrete is the most prevalent building material on the planet, and though the world would be pretty flat without it (not many tall buildings and structures), it does come at a price – around 5-8 percent of all human-generated atmospheric CO2 comes from the concrete industry. A culprit is Portland cement, the binding agent in concrete. It’s the most widely produced man-made material on earth. Production of Portland cement is currently exceeding 2.6 billion tons per year worldwide and growing at 5 percent annually. To halt these alarming pollution figures, innovative research on geopolymer concrete, along with ways of using a waste byproduct from coal-fired powerplants, is being conducted by Dr Erez Allouche, assistant professor of civil engineering at Louisiana Tech University and associate director of the Trenchless Technology Center.

A greener alternative, inorganic polymer concrete (geopolymer) fits into an emerging class of cementitious materials that utilize ‘fly ash’, one of the most abundant industrial by-products on earth, as a substitute for Portland cement. Geopolymer concrete has a number of benefits. The first is it has the potential to substantially curb CO2 emissions. It can also produce a more durable infrastructure capable of lasting hundreds of years, instead of tens. And by utilizing the fly ash, it can conserve hundreds of thousands of acres currently used for disposal of coal combustion products, and protect our water ways from fly ash ‘contamination’, too." See full article.

Using Mobile Phone Towers For Wind Power

As the world moves toward lower carbon energy production it will cause us to look for new power production opportunties including cell towers. This is particularly important for areas where electric distribution is limited.

Paul Ridden of Gizmag.com reports:

"Later this month, Helix Wind Corporation will deliver its first test wind turbines to Eltek Network Solutions Group for installation at two test sites in Nigeria. Sites in the US are also set to take delivery of test modules. The turbines will provide a clean energy solution for mobile phone towers and if tests prove successful, could see wind power being rolled out to hundreds of sites over the next few years.

'Currently such towers are powered by diesel generators, which are bad for the environment and extremely expensive to operate,' said Helix Wind CEO Ian Gardner. 'Anywhere the power grid is unreliable, expensive or simply non-existent, wind is an ideal renewable energy resource able to power these towers and reduce their operating cost."' See full article.

BMW Solar Concept Car With Air-breaking Wind Flaps!

An interesting new concept car collects power using solar panels and then raises them to help it slow down.

Jeremy Hsu at Popsci.com reports:

"The BMW Lovos has 260 exterior flaps that can collect solar power and act as airbrakes at the same time. The wacky car concept comes from Anne Forschner, a 24-year-old graduate of Pforzheim University in Germany. Each scale-like flap holds solar photovoltaic cells and can move to follow the sun or act as individual airbrakes. We can only imagine that seeing a full-scale version of this car driving around might bring to mind a Beast Machine Transformer, or a ruffled feathered dino made metallic." See full article.

River Turbines On Floating Dock Could Electrify New York City

A New Jersey Institute of Technology professor and a student have developed a proposed design for floating docks that capture energy from river flows plus provide recreational space.

Charles Choi for LiveScience and MSNBC.com reports:

"Each dock could generate power off the city's river currents. Three vertical turbines fastened out of sight to the underside of each station would harness the 4 mph currents, with each module generating up to 24 kilowatts of constant energy from the Hudson and East Rivers.
These stations would plug into the conventional piers of the city, extending them into the rivers. They could alleviate the need for conventional power to light the city streets, with each module supporting 350 LED streetlamps.

These docks could eventually get extended further up the rivers to both generate power and increase recreational green space and tidal pools for wildlife, said researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and at GRO Architects in New York. They currently have a provisional patent on the idea." See full article.

Taiwan Convention Center To Feature Solar-Powered Facades And Natural Ventilation

Beijing-based MAD Ltd. unveiled its solar eco-skin design for the Taichung Convention Center in Taiwan.

Green Diary.com reports:

"The Taichung Convention Center seems to blend mountainous architecture with sustainably soothing green technologies. Designed by the Beijing architects MAD, the buildings will have facades studded with photovoltaic panels to help provide them with abundant solar power. The concertina surface will create a natural passage for natural light and air as well. While it will cut down the expenses relating to heating and cooling solutions, the overall energy consumption also will follow suit. The architects have been specially commissioned by the Taiwanese government to suggest an eco-friendly model for the proposed construction and they’ve done a commendable job indeed." See full article and photos:

Google Earth Maps Carbon in The Atmosphere

Google Earth has teamed up with science experts to help people better understand CO2 in the atmosphere through dynamic mapping.

Physorg.com reports:

"A better understanding of the carbon cycle has implications for energy and environmental policy and carbon management. In June 2009, Michalak described this research at the NASA Earth System Science at 20 symposium in Washington, D.C.

A snapshot from Erickson's Google Earth application shows green tracks representing carbon dioxide in the lowest part of the atmosphere close to Earth's surface where vegetation and land processes can impact the carbon cycle. Red tracks indicate particles at higher altitudes that are immune from ground influences. The application is designed to educate the public and even scientists about how carbon dioxide emissions can be traced. A network of 1,000-foot towers across the United States is equipped with instruments by NOAA to measure the carbon dioxide content of parcels of air at single locations." See full article.

New Lightbulb Technology Combines CFL, LED and Incandescent

A Seattle-based company is developing a new line of lightbulbs with higher energy efficiency that are also mercury-free.

Sandeep Ravindran from Popsci.com reports:

"The ESL bulbs generate light by firing electrons to stimulate phosphor, and the whole setup is encased in normal light-bulb glass. The bulbs are estimated to last up to 6,000 hours, which is comparable to CFLs, and three to four times as long as incandescent bulbs.
Unlike CFLs, they do not contain mercury, which is a potent neurotoxin, and can be disposed of as regular trash. Burned-out CFLs need to be disposed of with hazardous waste or returned for recycling.

LEDs are still the most efficient bulbs, lasting 40,000 to 50,000 hours per bulb, but they are a lot more expensive. For example, Panasonic's new Everleds LED light is likely to retail for around $40 per bulb, or twice as much as the expected cost of the new ESL bulbs.
According to Vu1, another advantage of the ESL bulbs is that, unlike CFL and LED bulbs, they produce light that is nearly identical to incandescents, as seen in the infomercial below. The company also says that the new bulbs have a smaller carbon footprint over their lifecycle than CFL or LED bulbs." See full article.

China Is Developing A Massive New 2GW Solar Plant

China has plans for the largest solar power plant to-date. It would cover 25 square miles and power 3 million homes.

Sandra Acaro at Gizmag.com reports:

"The Chinese government has announced its intention to construct a 2-gigawatt solar power plant in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. Mike Ahearn, CEO of the Arizona-based company which will construct the plant, describes the unprecedented project as “an encouraging first step forward toward the mass-scale deployment of solar power worldwide to help mitigate climate change concerns.” As outlined in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between First Solar and the Chinese government, the project will be developed in four phases over a nine-year period, with Phase 1 beginning 1 June 2010 and Phase 4 to be completed by 2019. Phase 1 will initiate a 30-megawatt demonstration project, while Phases 2, 3 and 4 will consolidate a further 100 megawatts, 870 megawatts and 1000 megawatts respectively.

The magnitude of the development is many times greater than any solar plant in operation or even contemplated, including projects such as the 290-megawatt Starwood Solar Iand the 500-megawatt solar thermal project in the Mojave Desert. If successful, the Ordos plant will cover a staggering 25-square miles, cost billions of dollars and power 3 million Chinese homes." See full article.

REVive: Is Electric Car Company From India Ready To Roll Out A Remote Wireless Recharge?

Reva of India is suggesting that they are ready to unveil an electric car thatcan be recharged from a remote wireless station. Could it be true or will it be wireless directions on where to find a plug-in charge?

Popsci.com reports:

"India's Reva electric car company has a UK hit on its hands with the diminutive G-Wiz, an increasingly common addition to London traffic. This year, the company will introduce a new model, the Reva NXR -- a four-seat, three-door hatchback -- and plans to unveil a two-seat sports car, dubbed NXG, at next week's Frankfurt motor show. But what's got the electric-car world talking is something the company calls REVive -- a new feature purported to allow a driver who finds himself with insufficient battery charge to get an "instant remote recharge."

Could Reva be ready to roll out an inductive recharging system that would work over the course of miles instead of just a tabletop"? See full article:

Plug-in Prius Test Fleet Coming in Early 2010

The much-discussed Prius plug-in is coming. The unveiling will be at Germany's Frankfort auto show.

Popsci.com reports:

"This week the company offered its first tangible evidence of a plug-in Prius, at least in two dimensions. The company released the first official photo image of a new Prius concept car that can get juice from the electrical grid. Toyota hasn't yet offered any details on the car, except to say that around 150 units of the plug-in Prius will arrive in 2010 at the doorstep of selected fleet customers in Europe as part of an extensive field test. The lease program will subsequently migrate to Japan and the US. More details on the plug-in Prius concept will arrive next week ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show, where the concept will be unveiled." See full article.

Solar Panels Built Directly Into Roads

A design proposal would cover roadways with solar panels.

Adrian Covert at Popsci.com reports:

"The Department of Energy just gave $100,000 to upstart company Solar Roadways, to develop 12-by-12-foot solar panels, dubbed "Solar Roads," that can be embedded into roads, pumping power into the grid. The panels may also feature LED road warnings and built-in heating elements that could prevent roads from freezing. Each Solar Road panel can develop around 7.6 kwh of power each day, and each costs around $7,000. If widely adopted, they could realistically wean the US off fossil fuels: a mile-long stretch of four-lane highway could take 500 homes off the grid. If the entire US Interstate system made use of the panels, energy would no longer be a concern for the country." See full article.

Hummer Challenges Chevy Volt On Fuel Economy: For Real?

Can you imagine a fuel-efficient Hum-V?

Jeremy Hsu at PopSci.com reports:

"Hummer H3e claims its green version can get 100 mpg on average. And what's a little boasting without taking a shot at the competition? Raser Technologies calls its revamped Hummer a "Prius-Stomping Green Machine," based on an E-REV powertrain that supposedly enables large vehicles to drive the first 40 miles in all-electric mode. The company calculates that a typical driver who goes 65 miles per day would average about 100 mpg, and that driving over 200 miles per day would still get about double the fuel economy of a regular Hummer.

The electric Humvee developer has also not hesitated to join the crowd questioning Chevrolet's claim of 230 mpg for the upcoming Chevy Volt hybrid. Fast Company reports that Raser claims a Hummer would get 190 mpg in city driving conditions, based on the same methodology used to calculate the Volt's fuel economy." See full article.

Solar Sunflowers: A New Design For Solar Power

An art exhibit and alternative energy project near Austin Texas is turning heads with a enw design for solar energy: the sunflower.

PopSci reports:

"Designed by Massachusetts art duo Harries/Heder, the SunFlowers are an art exhibit at heart, and stand over 30 feet tall. They collect power from the sun by day, and use that energy to power their blue LEDs at night. Up to 15 kilowatts of surplus power is sent back to the grid as payment for any maintenance fees the SunFlowers incur." See full article.

Chevy Volt Looking At 230-Mile In-City Range

Recent tests are indicating that the Chevy Volt will have a greater range between charges than originally expected.

Darren Quick at Gizmag.com reports:

"With the anticipated production date of 2010 rapidly approaching, GM has announced that its extended-range electric vehicle is expected to achieve city fuel economy of at least 230 miles per gallon. The figure is based on development testing using a draft EPA federal fuel economy methodology for labeling for plug-in electric vehicles. The new methodology being developed weights plug-in electric vehicles as traveling more city miles than highway miles on only electricity and uses kilowatt hours per 100 miles traveled to define the electrical efficiency of plug-ins." See full article.

Laser-Guided Wind Turbine Technology For Greater Output

Emerging laser technology can help wind turbines be more efficient.

Jeff Kart at CleanTechnica.com reports:

"The Manassas, Virginia-based Catch the Wind has signed an agreement to work with the National Renewable Energy Lab in Boulder, Colorado, to test the company’s Vindicator laser wind sensor. Catch the Wind will provide a test unit to the U.S. Department of Energy facility for up to three years. The lab will use the Vindicator to measure wind speeds and direction with a goal of optimally aligning turbines and turbine blades. The idea is to cut stress loads on turbines and up their energy output." See full article.

Fusion Power Breakthrough: Energy In Ten years?

"Low budget" in fusion reactor terms means $1 billion. A new design may bring fusion power to the world sooner than anyone ever thought.

Physorg.com reports:

"Currently, most nuclear fusion power plants are large, expensive projects that will take decades to benefit from. But a startup company in Vancouver, Canada, called General Fusion is taking the fast track to fusion, with a plan to build a working prototype fusion power plant within the next decade at a cost of less than a billion dollars." See full article.

Meet The Amphibious Hybrid

More fuel-efficient vehicles -- by land and by sea!

Jeff Salton at GizMag.com reports:

"The Amphibious Hybrid concept vehicle - is a case of Bond meets the Transformers with its automatically adjusting tire design that morphs to ensure maximum grip on any given terrain including ice and water, where it becomes a kind of three wheel paddle boat. The team that designed this car thought it should be able to navigate on land, ice and water and, hence, its tires have the ability to change shape automatically to suit the terrain. For instance, when the terrain sensors located within the ‘intelligent wheels’ detect the vehicle has moved from normal mode (bitumen roads) to a slipperier surface, like snow, the tires open up a little. The more traction required, the wider the tire. When on the water, the tires resemble something more akin to a propeller." See full article:

A Review of Home Energy Monitoring Devices

There are a number of new programs and devices designed to help consumers and homeowners know more about energy of their use HVAC systems and appliances.

Paul Lester at GizMag.com reports:

"Perhaps the first step on the road to being green comes from learning a bit more about the various appliances in the modern home and how much energy they actually use. There are a range of home energy meters available for just this purpose, reporting not only current usage in monetary terms, but also estimated CO2 emissions, power consumption and historical data that can be used to identify and cut down during periods of excessive consumption." See reviews:

How Does the "Cloud Ship" Idea Strike You?

A new climate change-fighting idea being "floated" in the "global engineering" realm is to build a fleet of ships that pushes sea water into the sky to make reflective white clouds.

Kevin Jess at the Digitial Journal reports:

"A flotilla of 1,900 cloud ships would be needed to cruise the Pacific Ocean in order to create clouds that would deflect the sun rays and curb global warming. The project, now being worked on by U.S. and UK scientists is the favorite among many schemes aimed at fighting climate change. It would see wind-powered ships travelling the ocean sucking up seawater and spraying minuscule droplets of it out through tall funnels to create large white clouds." See full article.

MIT Tackles Making An Electric Car That Recharges In Ten Minutes

The overall practicality of electric vehicle tranportation depends on the speed of battery recharge. Many EVs take six to eight hours. MIT is going for something closer to what people might experience at the gas pump.

Michael Mulcahy at GizMag.com reports:

"Sometimes in science, it helps to set the bar high. That seems to be the attitude of the MIT Electric Vehicle Team (EVT). By their reckoning, one of the biggest impediments to the average driver adopting an electric vehicle is recharge times. So ....their next project is to produce a prototype family car that will achieve 0-60mph in under nine seconds, have a range of 200 miles, and fully recharge in under 11 minutes. Dubbed the elEVen, this latest project is an attempt to build an electric car that meets the expectations of mainstream drivers, including a “refill” time comparable to that at a gas pump. The engine will be replaced with a 250-horsepower, 180kW AC induction motor, donated by SatCon and originally designed for use in a 16.5-ton electric transit bus. Given the sedan will only weigh about 2 tons, it should easily achieve their acceleration goal and, better, manage a top speed of about 100mph." See full article:

A Battery That Stores Enough Solar to Run A House For 24 Hours

A new battery is helping to store enough power to greatly improve the overall effectiveness of alternative energy.

Times of India reports:

"A Utah-based company has found a new way to store solar energy – in a small ceramic disk which can store more power for less. Researchers at Ceramatec have created the disk, which can hold up to 20-kilowatt hours, enough to power an entire house for a large portion of the day. The new battery runs on sodium-sulfur — a composition that typically operates at greater than 600°F. “Sodium-sulfur is more energetic than lead-acid, so if you can somehow get it to a lower temperature, it would be valuable for residential use”, Ralph Brodd, an independent energy conversion consultant, says. Ceramatec’s new battery runs at less than 200°F. " See full article.

Startup eSolar Switches On Solar Thermal Plant

A new solar plant in California uses algorithims to power 4,000 homes.

Rick Merritt at EETimes.com reports:

"The 5 MW Sierra SunTower solar power plant in Lancaster, California, will produce electricity for Southern California Edison, powering more than 4,000 homes in the Antelope Valley area. The plant was built in less than a year. The startup uses algorithms that track the Sun's movements and move thousands of small mirrors to concentrate solar energy. To speed construction time it prefabricates its system in a factory and builds the generator on private land close to transmission systems, said Bill Gross a serial entrepreneur and chief executive of eSolar." See full article.

Electric Trucks: Quiet and Effective

High fuel prices caused a Missouri company, Smith Electric Vehicles, to think about rolling out elctric trucks for local deliveries.

Chris Woodyard at USA Today reports:

The first truck to run solely on electricity was released by Smith in Washington last month. Smith also announced partnerships with six companies, including Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, Staples and AT&T, which plan to make the new trucks part of their shipping and carrying fleets as early as this year. They are interested in a truck that can run a long ways around town:

The electric truck has a lithium-ion battery that recharges in a 220 volt outlet in six to eight hours. The battery is good for 100 miles per charge and has a lifetime of about seven to 10 years. The truck drives like a big golf cart -- no gears or shifting -- but is extremely quiet due to the electric engine. It can reach speeds of up to 50 mph. See full article.

The Floating Solar Island Concept

Another idea about using water bodies as locations for solar energy has been put forward.

Alternative Energy News.info reports:

"Remember the Solar Lily Pads? Well, Swiss inventor Thomas Hinderling has taken that idea to the next level with his solar islands concept (check out the video). The 5km wide, 20m height island concept would be mobile and would adjust according to the sun’s movement across the sky. Each island would generate hundreds of kilowatts of electricity that would be almost five times cheaper than current electricity rates." See full article.

Hybrid Tugboats On The Drawing Board

The boats that move cargo up and down America's rivers (also called tow boats) are enormous fuel consumers. Now there are plans to develop a hybrid vessel.

Alternative Energy News.info reports:

"General Electric and the C-MAR Group .... announced plans to work together on the development of hybrid engine technologies for tugboats, in an effort to offer lower costs for customers and while lowering carbon emissions. The tugboat platform builds on current hybrid technology projects for locomotives, city buses and off-highway vehicles. These hybrid technologies are all part of GE’s ecomagination initiative." See full article.

The New Gyroscopic Electric Uno-bike

Here is an interesting way to save fuel and get around town -- the Uno-bike!

Alternative Energy News.info reports:

"Canadian Inventor Ben Gulak of BPG-Technologies has developed a wild new green motorcycle that uses gyro technology to stay upright on its two side-by-side wheels. Acceleration is controlled by leaning forward to go faster, and leaning back to slow down. The gyro tells the ECU how much to accelerate and that in turn delivers the proper amount of current to the electric motors, one for each wheel. Weighing in at a mere 129 pounds, the ‘bike’ has a top speed of 25mph and a battery life of 2 1/2 hours. The bike was recently unveiled for the first time at the 2008 National Motorcycle Show in Toronto." See article and video.

New Combination Bus/Train Vehicle Developed

The availability and convenience of public transportation is getting a boost with a new vehicle that can run on tracks and on the road.

Alternative Energy News.info reports:

"A dual mode road/rail vehicle is being tested in Japan by Toyota and its truck-manufacturing division Hino Motors. The bus bridges the gap between road and rail with 4 rubber tires for road use and 4 steel wheels for riding on rails. It can hold 25 passengers and is based on the Toyota Microbus. ....the bus 'is expected to be another step toward more practical use of the dual mode vehicle.' This could be the mass transit vehicle of the future for Japanese commuters." See full article.

New Ultracapacitor May Be Coming Soon

The company EEStor's CEO is purported to have released some information that shows they are within months of developing an ultracapacitor that would affect electric cars and more.

Adrian Covert atPopsci.com reports:

"If all of its perceived potential is delivered, the ultracapacitor could revolutionize everything from electric cars to renewable energy storage, providing a long-awaited evolutionary step beyond current rechargeable battery tech. EEStor's ultracapacitor works more or less exactly like the capacitors found in electronics today, briefly holding and releasing small charges, only on a much larger scale; it would be able rapidly take on enough juice to power a car for 250-300 miles within a matter of minutes, EEStor claims. It could also be used to store renewable energy generated by solar and wind plants more efficiently." See full article.

Downloadable Carbon Calculator Automatically Offests Your Computer

Now there is a program that measures your computer's energy use and automatically buys the right amount of carbon offset for you.

Newsmaker.com reports:

"With the manufacture and energy used to run computers creating as big a carbon footprint as the global airline industry, green minded computer users now have an option to offset their PC’s carbon emissions.The Little Green Genie is a program that works by calculating how much energy is being used by a computer, and then uses this information to buy a proportionate amount of carbon credits to offset this use.For the average computer user this will cost roughly ten dollars a year, and with two typical Internet searches using the equivalent energy of boiling an electric kettle according to a Harvard University physicist, the benefits eclipse the small financial annual outlay." See full article.

Radar to Protect Birds From Wind Generators

As the number of wind farms increases in the United States the number of bird deaths will likely go up. Designers are looking to a variety of ways to avoid wildlfie harm. One involves radar.

Alternative-energy-news.info reports:

The new Peñascal wind farm in Texas hopes to become a model for responsible development by installing new radar technology to protect migratory birds and wildlife.

The same technology was originally developed for NASA and the US Air Force. It can detect approaching birds up to four miles away and assess their altitude, numbers and visibility. It then analyzes weather conditions to determine if they are in danger of flying into wind turbine blades. If so, the turbines are programmed to automatically shut down and restart once the birds are a safe distance away. See full article:

High Altitude Wind Energy Hots Spots Studied

High altitude wind generation is getting more serious attention these days and a new study assesses some wind energy "hot spots" in the heavens.

Stuart Fox at PopSci.com reports:

"With the US granting wind power plant leases off the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware, the UK planning to overtake nuclear power with wind in five years, and even coal loving China getting in on the act, all the talk about wind power these days has focused on offshore wind farms. However, a new study suggests that the wind power mother lode may be up in the sky, not off in the sea. Sure, high altitude wind power isn't the newest idea in the world. Not only has the tech been around for a couple of years, but companies like Kite Gen and Sky WindPower are already trying to break into the market. However, this study is the first to identify the best spots to place the high-flying turbines." See full article.

Microsoft's New Hohm Program For Home Energy Management

Microsoft has a new home software program that will help consumers monitor their energy use and get ready to participate in the smart grid.

John Brandon at PopSci.com reports:

"Microsoft has announced Hohm (which telescopes home into ohm), a new Web-based service for keeping an eye on your smart grid. The beta for the service goes live next week; users can sign up to access the service at microsoft-hohm.com. With Hohm, consumers can see how they are currently using energy in their home, and then, if necessary, change their routine based on what Hohm shows them. A recommendation system shows how you can reduce energy with certain appliances and devices. For example, you might see that using a washing machine at night would save money over daytime use. Historical data is available too, to show energy usage from previous months and years, with easy-to-read bar charts. There's also a trend engine to compare appliances, lighting, and power use for electronics in your home." See full article.

Harvesting Energy From Bumps In the Road

A group of MIT undergraduate students who recognized that electric power in hybrid vehicles can come from applying brakes wondered if the vehicle's suspension system might offer similar promise.

Alternative-energy-news.info reports:

"They rented a variety of car models, attaching sensors to suspension to determine the energy potential. They were aided by laptop computers for recording the sensor data. Their tests revealed that “a significant amount of energy” was being wasted in conventional suspension systems, Anderson said, “especially for heavy vehicles”. After that they set out to prepare a prototype system to harness the wasted power. Their shock absorber employs a hydraulic system that forces fluid through a turbine attached to a generator. The system is controlled by an active electronic system that optimizes the damping. This device provides a smoother ride than traditional shocks while generating electricity to recharge the batteries or operate electrical equipment." See full article.

A Hybrid Three-Wheeler Called MP3 Gets 100MPG

A new three-wheel hybrid design would get 100 MPG and be a safer urban vehicle.

Mike Hanlon for GizMag.com reports:

"The Piaggio Group's claim that its new MP3 Hybrid is “destined to revolutionize urban mobility” would normally be classified as a somewhat overreaching PR claim. Though a highly optimistic viewpoint in view of the machine's US$12,500 price tag, a 33% premium over the 250cc version, the MP3 Hybrid is a landmark vehicle in that it is the first hybrid motorcycle at the same time as offering a number of significant safety features that make the miserly 60 km/l (140+ mpg) three-wheeler a compelling choice for commuters. We've spent some time on the 250cc version of the MP3 and can vouch that it is just as manoeuvrable and enjoyable as a motorcycle yet much safer and surefooted. While the stupidly named MP3 doesn't actually play music, we believe it will make an impact when it goes on sale in Europe next month. Expect to see the hybrid on U.S. Roads next year." See full article.